UCSB  LIBRARY 


By  HORATIO  W.  DRESSER 


The  Power  of  Silence. 

New  Edition,  revised  and  enlarged.    12°.  net  $1.35 

The  Perfect 'Whole.    12°     .        .       .       .  "  1.25 

In  Search  of  a  Soul.    12°    .       .       .       .  "  1.25 

Voices  of  Hope.    12° "  1.25 

Education  and  the  Philosophical  Ideal.  12°  "  1.25 

Living:  by  the  Spirit.     16°  .        .        .        .  "  .75 

The  Christ  Ideal.    16° "  .75 

A  Book  of  Secrets.     12°              .        .        .  "  1.00 

Man  and  the  Divine  Order.    12°         .        .  "  1.60 

Health  and  the  Inner  Life.    12°         .        .  "  1.35 

The  Philosophy  of  the  Spirit.    8°     .        .  "  2.50 

A  Physician  to  the  Soul.     12°   .        .        .  "  i.oo 

A  Message  to  the  Well.     12°      .        .        .  "  1.25 
Human  Efficiency. 


Human   Efficiency 

A  Psychological  Study 
of    Modern  Problems 


By 


Author  of  "  The  Power  of  Silence,"   "  The  Perfect  Whole," 
"  Living  by  the  Spirit,"  etc. 


G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons 

New  York  and   London 

Cbe    "Knickerbocker    press 

1912 


COPYRIGHT,  1912 

BY 
HORATIO   WILLIS   DRESSER 


Ttbe  fcnfckerbocfeer  PTCM,  Hew  fiotk 


PREFACE 

THIS  study  of  human  nature  has  been  written 
with  the  conviction  that  every  man  desires 
fulness  of  life,  hence  is  willing  to  undertake  any 
investigation  which  promises  to  put  him  in  surer 
command  of  his  resources.  It  endeavours  to  dis- 
close various  lines  of  development  in  such  a  way 
as  to  arouse  enthusiasm  for  one  of  the  most  fas- 
cinating subjects  that  ever  engage  human  atten- 
tion— the  study  of  the  human  mind.  In  so  doing 
no  attempt  is  made  to  persuade  the  reader  that 
there  is  one,  and  only  one  road  to  success,  one 
theory  or  principle  of  interpretation.  The  purpose 
of  the  book  is  rather  to  aid  each  reader  to  inves- 
tigate for  himself,  and  advance  from  the  point 
already  attained.  Hence  while  the  book  is  offered 
as  a  contribution  to  the  science  of  human  nature, 
it  is  first  of  all  practical. 

At  the  beginning,  and  more  or  less  throughout 
the  volume,  the  discussion  is  connected  with  a 
recent  movement  of  great  promise.  Hence  while 
the  purpose  of  the  succeeding  chapters  is  not  to 
discuss  industrial  efficiency,  the  first  chapter  refers 
to  the  new  science  of  business,  the  promises  it 


iv  Preface 

affords,  the  problems  to  which  it  gives  rise.  With 
the  distinction  between  industrial  and  other  types 
of  efficiency  the  discussion  enlarges  to  the  scope 
of  essentially  human  interests,  in  contrast  with 
those  of  a  class,  or  the  demands  of  the  mere  "time- 
planner."  From  this  point  on  through  several 
chapters  the  book  might  be  called  a  treatise  on 
applied-  psychology,  with  special  reference  to 
mental  co-ordination,  economy  in  the  use  of 
nervous  force,  efficiency  of  will,  and  other  attain- 
ments that  make  for  practical  success.  The 
concluding  chapters  are  devoted  to  applied  ethics, 
always  with  a  view  to  individual  efficiency. 

The  point  of  view  does  not  call  for  the  usual 
sharp  distinctions  between  practical  life  and  the 
sciences.  Indeed,  the  book  was  written  in  part 
to  pass  beyond  these  distinctions  and  make  clear 
the  relationship  of  psychology  and  ethics  to  life. 
It  thus  takes  exception  to  treatises  which  while 
admirable  pieces  of  science  bear  no  relation  for 
the  plain  man  to  his  daily  interests.  The  writings 
of  Professor  Wm.  James  are  deemed  an  exception, 
hence  in  these  pages  abundant  use  is  made  of  the 
psychological  teachings  of  our  greatest  author  in 
this  field. 

It  is  plain  that  the  movement  in  behalf  of  effi- 
ciency, now  attracting  widespread  attention,  af- 
fords points  of  connection  between  science  and  life 
not  hitherto  noted.  For  it  begins  in  a  neutral  field, 


Preface  v 

not  far  from  the  arena  in  which  the  issues  between 
capital  and  labour  are  just  now  being  fought  out, 
adjoining  the  territory  which  socialism  claims  but 
not  identified  with  it,  contiguous  to  the  entrancing 
region  which  we  call  "success,"  and  related  to  the 
domains  of  education  and  moral  reform.  A  man 
can  be  persuaded  to  be  more  efficient  who  cannot 
be  persuaded  of  anything  else.  For,  to  repeat, 
what  we  want  is  life  in  its  fulness,  something  which 
shall  touch  the  whole  man,  enabling  us  to  employ 
'•our  capacities  to  the  full.  Once  interested  in 
putting  all  our  powers  into  one  thing  in  such  a  way 
as  to  bring  satisfaction,  possibilities  without  limit 
will  be  opened  before  us.  While,  then,  increased 
efficiency  at  first  glance  appears  to  mean  an 
attempt  to  get  the  utmost  from  our  organism  each 
working  day,  it  soon  proves  to  involve  higher 
considerations.  To  say  this  is  not  to  ignore  the 
fact  that  economic  demands  are  imperative.  Nor 
is  it  to  accept  the  present  social  order  as  the  best. 
But  the  man  who  endeavours  to  become  more 
efficient  in  a  comprehensive  sense  of  the  word 
will  find  himself  tracing  human  miseries  and  dis- 
abilities further  back,  until  compelled  to  face  the 
elements  in  his  own  life  that  must  be  changed. 
He  will  turn,  for  example,  to  his  own  impulsiveness 
as  a  cause  of  trouble,  to  his  fault-finding  or  rebelli- 
ous spirit,  his  unreasoning  attitude,  the  inner 
conflict  between  old  forces  and  new  ideals.  Such 


vi  Preface 

interests  will  naturally  lead  to  a  study  of  the 
springs  of  human  action,  the  sources  of  power,  the 
mental  attainments  which  enable  a  man  to  employ 
his  energies  effectively.  Hence  the  present  volume 
is  not  alone  devoted  to  either  physical  or  mental 
efficiency,  but  traces  mental  co-ordination  and 
the  control  of  the  brain  to  their  foundations, 
carrying  the  two  interests  side  by  side. 

The  general  point  of  view  is  that  in  addition  to 
the  talents  which  enable  a  man  to  become  a  good 
artisan,  manager,  teacher,  manual  or  brain-worker, 
there  are  activities  which  prompt  us  to  achieve 
the  type,  transmute  disposition  into  character, 
and  to  work  for  ideals.  This  leads  to  a  plea  in 
behalf  of  the  many  incentives  that  stir  the  human 
breast,  the  varied  sorts  of  work  men  engage  in, 
and  the  diverse  modes  of  pursuing  ideal  ends. 
Hence  the  contention  that  we  should  live  and  let 
live  receives  new  force.  Psychologically,  this  is 
supported  by  a  new  study  of  the  will,  tending  to 
restore  the  will  to  its  proper  place  in  contrast  with 
recent  interest  in  suggestion  and  the  subconscious. 
Ethically  speaking,  this  emphasis  on  the  con- 
scious individual  leads  to  the  ideal  of  self-realisa- 
tion. At  this  point  the  doctrine  of  the  book  is 
closely  allied  with  the  teachings  of  the  ethical 
idealists.  My  hope  is  that  this  book  will  show 
those  who  are  persuaded  of  this  ethical  ideal  how 
and  where  to  begin  to  realise  the  self. 


Preface  vii 

This  book  does  not  call  for  previous  acquain- 
tance with  works  on  psychology  and  ethics.  The 
foot-notes  indicate  some  of  the  most  important 
references  for  further  study.  By  the  aid  of  these 
one  may  make  this  volume  a  text-book  in  either 
psychology  or  ethics.  But  the  first  suggestion 
is  that  each  reader  begin  with  the  study  of  life, 
then  seek  the  principles  needed  to  explain  life. 
For  the  forces  that  make  for  efficiency  must  be 
found  by  actual  use.  He  who  does  not  carry  on  a 
study  of  life  while  he  reads  will  miss  the  methods 
which  in  the  hands  of  humanists  like  Professor 
James  have  led  to  such  fruitful  results.  The  same 
is  true  of  any  one  who,  taking  up  this  book  by 
chance,  may  hope  to  discover  the  formula  for 
success.  I  have  avoided  the  use  of  italics,  capital- 
ised words,  and  sub-heads,  because  the  general 
discussion  along  the  way  is  as  important  as  any 
brief  statement  could  be;  and  because  there  is  no 
formula  or  secret  of  success  that  can  be  stated  in  a 
sentence.  Attention  and  work  are  the  secrets,  so 
far  as  one  can  indicate  them  in  advance.  But 
attention  calls  for  the  study  of  details,  and  work 
requires  careful  application.  Hence  the  first  con- 
sideration is  an  analytical  reflectiveness  which 
begins  at  the  beginning  and  leads  on  and  on. 
Efficiency  indeed  is  not  so  much  a  question  of 
time  and  compactness  as  of  thought,  together  with 
the  right  use  of  the  resources  at  hand. 


Vlll 


Preface 


Some  readers  will  hold  that  no  study  of  human 
efficiency  can  be  complete  without  an  analysis 
of  religious  efficiency.  This  subject  has  been 
omitted  for  the  most  part  for  various  reasons. 
The  last  five  chapters  are  incidentally  a  discus- 
sion of  the  limitations  of  human  powers,  hence 
imply  a  theory  of  man's  religious  nature.  Strictly 
speaking,  the  question  of  moral  efficiency,  con- 
sidered in  the  last  chapter,  underlies  and  includes 
the  religious  problem.  The  present  study  is 
prevailingly  psychological,  and  it  is  impossible 
to  consider  religious  matters  in  a  satisfactory 
manner  without  passing  beyond  even  the  implied 
philosophy  of  efficiency  which  at  many  points  in 
the  investigation  grows  out  of  and  leads  beyond 
the  psychological  inquiry.  Finally,  I  have  omitted 
the  question  of  religious  efficiency  because  in 
another  volume,  The  Philosophy  of  the  Spirit,  I 
have  analysed  man's  spiritual  nature  at  length. 
The  purpose  of  the  present  discussion  is  to  direct 
attention  to  practical  results.  He  who  through  a 
study  of  psychological  principles  makes  himself 
more  efficient  in  the  field  in  which  he  happens  to 
be  engaged,  should  be  able  to  turn  to  the  religious 
field  and  labour  more  effectively.  What  is  now 
needed  in  the  religious  world  is  practical  service 
in  matters  close  at  hand.  Of  theories  of  efficiency 
in  a  doctrinal  sense  we  already  have  enough. 

The  technical  student  of  psychology  will  object 


Preface  ix 

that  this  is  not  a  scientific  treatise,  and  will  plead 
for  a  structural  analysis  of  mental  life  in  which 
nothing  is  said  about  practical  values.  But  we 
already  have  books  in  abundance  of  that  type. 
When  the  last  word  has  been  said  about  the  hu- 
man mind  as  a  collection  of  elements  and  processes, 
there  still  remains  the  real  mental  life  of  which 
each  of  us  is  aware,  the  desires  that  stir  us,  the 
emotions  that  quicken,  the  thoughts  that  uplift, 
and  the  will  that  accomplishes.  In  this  book  I 
have  tried  to  describe  the  mind  in  such  a  way  that 
every  reader,  whatever  his  type  or  vocation,  shall 
be  able  to  identify  it,  thereby  learning  more  about 
his  own  life,  finding  new  clues  to  success,  new 
incentives  to  action.  Hence  it  is  my  hope  that 
many  will  make  immediate  use  of  the  principles 
here  under  discussion,  if  not  in  their  own  inner 
conduct,  at  least  in  educational  work  for  the 
benefit  of  workers  young  and  old  who  are  unable 
as  yet  to  study  or  grasp  these  matters  for  them- 
selves. I  have  for  the  most  part  passed  by  the 
question  of  the  economic  advantages  which  will 
presumably  follow,  since  these  are  more  obvious, 
and  because  in  recent  works  on  industrial  efficiency, 
and  in  the  popular  magazines,  the  financial  values 
have  been  steadily  emphasised. 

H.  W.  D. 

CAMBRIDGE,  MASS., 
July,  1911. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I. — EFFICIENCY  AS  AN  IDEAL  i 

II. — THE  BASIS  OF  EFFICIENCY         .         .  27 

III. — THE  PSYCHOLOGICAL  POINT  OF  VIEW  46 

IV. — MENTAL  CO-ORDINATION    ...  71 

V. — THE  SUBCONSCIOUS  ....  95 

••••— i"****^11" 

VI. — OUR  ENERGIES  AND  THEIR  CONTROL  128 

VII. — THE  NATURE  OF  HUMAN  WORK          .  160 

l^gMMHH 

VIII. — THE  EFFICIENT  WILL        .         .         .185 

IX. — SUCCESS 213 

(•••••••• 

X. — INSIGHT 244 

^•"•^"* 

XI. — A  LAW  UNTO  ONESELF      .         .         .  273 

XII. — THE  NATURE  AND  SCOPE  OF  REASON  298 

••i^^WMi*"*** 

XIII. — THE  LAW  OF  LOVE    .         .         .         .  324 

XIV. — MORAL  EFFICIENCY  ....  353 

INDEX       .         .         .         .                  .  385 


HUMAN   EFFICIENCY 


CHAPTER  I 

EFFICIENCY  AS  AN   IDEAL 

EFFICIENCY  is  becoming  the  great  word  in 
1— '  modern  life.  We  are  passing  out  of  the 
period  of  careless  and  wasteful  use  of  resources, 
in  this  great  land  of  promise,  and  entering  a 
period  of  conservation  and  scientific  management. 
We  are  dividing  and  subdividing  human  labour 
that  we  may  place  each  man  where  he  can  work 
best.  Specialisation  is  being  carried  to  a  point 
never  before  dreamed  of  even  by  devotees  of 
Utopian  schemes.  The  age  of  organisation  has 
come  as  the  logical  result  of  an  age  in  which  the 
central  idea  was  evolution,  for  we  had  to  learn 
nature's  law  of  production  before  we  could  begin 
economically  to  use  nature's  resources.  Having 
enjoyed  many  of  the  benefits  of  a  rich  period  of 
development  in  the  world  of  scientific  invention 
and  discovery,  we  are  now  proceeding  to  use  our 


2  Human  Efficiency 

resources  so  as  to  take  full  advantage  of  the  new 
machinery  thus  put  within  our  power.  The  ensuing 
age  is  very  far  from  being  purely  mechanical, 
but  is  more  truly  the  age  of  a  new  form  of  idealism. 
Efficiency  is  not  the  standard  for  engineers  merely, 
for  the  man  of  affairs,  or  the  expert  in  govern- 
mental matters ;  it  can  be  extended  throughout  the 
lines  of  human  endeavour.  It  is  well  to  consider 
some  of  the  achievements  already  in  process,  that 
we  may  realise  the  scope  of  efficiency  as  an  ideal. 
At  first  thought,  efficiency  appears  to  be  the 
effort  to  get  out  of  a  machine  or  person  as  many 
foot-pounds  of  energy  as  possible  in  the  shortest 
time.  For  example,  it  was  formerly  customary  to 
use  a  locomotive  at  less  frequent  intervals,  spend 
a  considerable  amount  of  money  in  repairs,  and 
keep  the  locomotive  in  use  for  many  years.  Nowa- 
days, on  the  great  railroads,  an  engine  is  used  very 
steadily  on  longer  hauls,  is  not  left  idle  in  the 
roundhouse  until  the  same  engineer  takes  it  forth 
again ;  but  is  kept  in  service  while  in  good  condi- 
tion to  be  forthwith  cast  aside  in  favour  of  a  new 
locomotive  of  the  latest  type  when  it  is  more 
economical  to  do  this  than  to  spend  money  in 
repairs.  A  similar  tendency  obtains  in  the  human 
world  in  so  far  as  the  untrained  are  displaced  by 
the  skilful,  and  when  men  who  are  approaching 
middle  life  are  set  aside  in  favour  of  the  young.  The 
principle  of  efficiency  may  indeed  become  a  tool 


Efficiency  as  an  Ideal  3 

in  the  hands  of  the  soul-less  corporation.  The 
strife  for  efficiency  is  in  a  measure  the  struggle 
of  the  fittest  or  strongest  to  survive.  Thus  the 
modern  tendency  has  its  pathetic  side.  It  is  well 
to  consider  this  side  very  carefully  and  ask  what 
should  be  done  to  counteract  it.  The  new  move- 
ment is,  however,  far  larger  than  this.  Our  inter- 
est is  to  determine  how  far  the  idea  of  efficiency 
can  be  carried  at  its  best. 

On  the  whole,  the  movement  in  behalf  of  effi- 
ciency means  an  intelligent  effort  to  provide  for 
individual  work  under  conditions  more  favourable 
for  all  concerned.  Hence  in  the  organisations  and 
lines  of  business  in  which  the  idea  has  been  most 
fully  carried  out,  co-operation  has  been  secured. 
Without  co-operation  from  first  to  last,  from  lowest 
to  highest,  little  headway  can  be  made.  It  there- 
fore becomes  a  matter  of  scientific  necessity  to 
provide  for  the  welfare  of  each  employee.  When 
it  is  a  question  of  the  best  work  each  can  do, 
work  that  is  performed  in  the  best  manner,  atten- 
tion must  be  given  to  any  number  of  conditions 
that  would  otherwise  be  neglected.  Accordingly, 
more  heed  is  paid  to  sanitary  conditions,  to  recrea- 
tion grounds  or  roof-gardens,  appropriate  holidays, 
the  use  of  social  centres  of  various  sorts,  confer- 
ences for  furthering  mutual  interests,  also  to  the 
number  of  hours  and  the  conditions  under  which 
each  employee  can  work  to  greatest  advantage. 


4  Human  Efficiency 

Hence  it  may  come  about  that  while  the  locomo- 
tive, for  instance,  is  pressed  into  more  frequent 
service  for  a  greater  number  of  hours  than  under 
former  conditions,  the  expert  engineer  may  work 
a  shorter  time  in  order  that  he  may  spend  his 
intensely  active  hours  more  efficiently.  The 
principle  is  complex,  and  much  thought  is  required 
to  apply  it  to  the  various  industries  and  vocations, 
but  it  is  far-reaching  and  holds  promise  of  solution 
of  any  number  of  problems  that  have  hitherto 
baffled  the  wits  of  men. 

The  new  science  of  business  has  brought  about 
radical  changes  in  all  these  respects.  While  it  is 
not  the  purpose  of  these  pages  to  regard  efficiency 
as  a  commercial  principle,  we  may  well  approach 
the  larger  question  by  noting  some  of  these  changes. 
The  change  in  brief  is  from  "system"  in  the  old 
sense  of  the  word  to  "science,"  based  on  the  prin- 
ciple set  forth  by  Frederick  W.  Taylor  that  there 
is  but  one  efficient  way  to  do  a  thing,  a  way  that 
may  be  resolved  into  elemental  principles  with 
special  regard  to  the  activity  in  question.  Accord- 
ing to  the  old  method,  the  mechanic  arts  were  to 
a  large  extent  handed  down  from  generation  to 
generation,  and  acquired  in  a  more  or  less  hap- 
hazard manner.  The  machinery  and  tools  were 
not  always  adapted  to  the  purposes  for  which  they 
were  employed,  and  comparatively  little  attention 
was  given  to  securing  a  large  output  with  an 


Efficiency  as  an  Ideal  5 

economical  expenditure  of  time.  Under  the  new 
order  of  things,  recognition  is  given  to  the  fact 
that  each  kind  of  work  has  laws  of  its  own  which 
should  be  taken  into  account  and  kept  free  from 
confusion  with  the  best  methods  of  doing  other 
kinds  of  work.  It  also  means  recognition  of  the 
fact  that  there  are  average  workmen  and  first- 
class  workmen,  manual  labourers  and  brain- workers 
and  need  for  closer  co-operation  between  these. 
Heretofore,  the  work  of  those  who  plan  and  those 
who  execute  has  not  been  kept  sufficiently  distinct, 
nor  have  there  been  a  sufficient  number  of  func- 
tional foremen  and  instructors  to  carry  out  the 
ideas  of  those  who  plan  and  manage.  In  the  large 
establishments,  where  the  new  method  has  been 
scientifically  applied,  there  are  not  only  heads  of 
departments  but  time-planners  whose  province 
it  is  to  develop  schedules  according  to  the  type 
of  work,  the  degree  of  skill,  differences  in  cerebral 
capacity,  in  physical  strength  and  nerve-power. 
Each  workman  is  assigned  a  task  for  the  day 
according  to  his  training  and  his  powers,  and  with 
a  view  to  adequacy  in  the  use  of  the  resources 
or  machinery  at  hand.  Efficiency  as  thus  elabor- 
ately sought  means  decrease  in  the  cost  of  pro- 
duction under  better  conditions,  saving  of  time 
under  careful  supervision,  increase  of  output, 
better  workmen  attracted  by  higher  wages,  and 
the  standardisation  of  materials  and  equipment. 


6  Human  Efficiency 

Otherwise  stated,  the  modern  idea  of  efficiency 
involves  saving  of  time,  energy,  and  money,  in  pro- 
duction and  distribution.  It  means  closer  connec- 
tion between  departments,  hence  more  unity  in  the 
system  as  a  whole.  It  calls  for  experts  at  every 
important  point,  and  has  room  for  expert  service 
in  every  department.  The  system  has  not  been 
introduced  without  opposition,  and  long  experi- 
mentation, as  Mr.  Taylor  and  others  have  shown 
in  recent  periodical  literature.  But  such  is  the 
history  of  every  idea  of  real  value. 

The  objection  to  such  a  system  is  that  it  seems 
to  be  one  more  scheme  for  the  benefit  of  the  capi- 
talist. Under  its  use  the  manual  labourer  would 
appear  to  be  an  instrument  whose  energies  are  to 
be  employed  to  the  full  while  they  last.  To 
drive  oneself  to  accomplish  as  much  as  possible 
in  a  given  length  of  time,  with  a  time-schedule 
ever  before  the  eye,  would  apparently  be  to  draw 
upon  one's  reserves  to  the  limit,  presently  to  be 
as  useless  as  the  locomotive  that  once  drew  the 
fastest  express  but  now  is  not  even  serviceable  on 
the  leisurely  schedule  of  the  milk-train.  These 
objections  are  serious  enough,  and  the  problem 
of  the  right  use  of  our  energies  is  one  that  must  be 
considered  in  a  separate  chapter,  but  everything 
depends  upon  one's  understanding  of  the  system 
and  the  extent  to  which  the  principle  is  carried. 

The  term  "efficiency"  is  in  the  largest  sense  a 


Efficiency  as  an  Ideal  7 

synonym  for  the  art  of  life,  for  adaptation  to 
nature.  As  a  higher  animal,  a  part  of  nature,  man 
is  efficient  if  able  to  protect  himself,  to  provide 
sustenance  and  shelter,  and  maintain  his  strength. 
As  a  social  being,  he  attains  the  standard  if  not 
merely  able  to  provide  for  his  family  but  so  to 
adjust  himself  to  economic  conditions  in  a  world 
where  competition  is  intense  as  to  minister  to  the 
manifold  interests  of  human  nature  in  its  wondrous 
variety.  The  husband  must  be  efficient  as  a  wage- 
earner  and  in  a  hundred  other  ways,  the  wife  as 
mother  in  respects  that  tax  her  affection,  intelli- 
gence, ingenuity,  and  strength  in  full  measure. 
Thus  the  idea  extends  into  the  whole  of  life  and 
the  economic  adjustment  becomes  intense  in  pro- 
portion as  the  wants  of  a  family  increase.  The 
test  questions  turn  about  the  relation  between 
efficiency  in  a  commercial  sense  and  efficiency  as 
applied  to  the  physical,  moral,  and  spiritual  welfare 
of  society  at  large. 

A  merely  commercial  idea  of  efficiency  would 
have  regard  for  economy  in  the  cost  of  production 
and  distribution,  so  that  there  might  be  increase  in 
dividends.  But  experience  may  show  that  com- 
mercial efficiency  is  furthered  by  conditions  under 
which  the  workman  also  benefits  through  increased 
skill,  higher  wages,  and  better  conditions.  Indus- 
trial and  commercial  efficiency  belong  together, 
and  logically  lead  to  consideration  of  higher  types 


8  Human  Efficiency 

of  success.  The  workman  or  boss  cannot  be  made 
even  a  more  successful  cog  in  the  machine  without 
becoming  very  much  more.  The  idea  of  efficiency 
once  clearly  grasped  must  lead  to  consideration 
of  every  factor  that  enters  into  human  life.  It 
must  moderate  the  sternness  of  the  soul-less  cor- 
poration, if  such  exist.  In  the  end  it  must  make 
men  and  women  more  human,  not  less  so,  or  fail 
in  its  purpose. 

Efficiency  as  a  commercial  program  seems  to  be 
for  the  benefit  of  the  large  producer  or  the  great 
department  stores  and  institutions.  Hence  the 
day  of  individual  betterment  and  detailed  social 
welfare  appears  to  be  farther  off  than  ever.  But 
this  is  a  misunderstanding  of  the  idea.  The  modern 
idea  is  indeed  a  product  of  the  great  industries. 
In  the  large  enterprise  there  is  room  for  elaborate 
organisation,  and  this  is  the  field  in  which  to  try 
out  the  science.  In  the  smaller  business  many 
tasks  must  be  assigned  to  each  employee  and 
foreman.  In  the  home  the  housewife  must  be 
skilled  in  any  number  of  arts,  and  it  is  difficult  to 
separate  planning  from  execution  in  such  a  way  as 
to  secure  freedom  for  each  person  to  contribute 
the  best  that  can  be  given.  Yet  division  of  labour 
and  efficiency  are  not  identical.  The  ideal  is  to 
make  each  person  more  efficient,  whatever  his 
work  or  capacity,  and  whatever  the  facilities  at  his 
disposal.  It  is  never  a  mere  question  of  mechani- 


Efficiency  as  an  Ideal  9 

cal  equipment  and  external  co-operation.  Effi- 
ciency means  not  only  economy  of  time  and  energy 
but  advancement  in  many  other  directions,  as  we 
shall  presently  see  more  clearly.  In  so  far  as  it 
becomes  a  mental  and  moral  ideal,  including 
the  conservation  of  human  energy,  it  may  be 
realised  in  the  world  of  moral  conduct  even  when 
the  physical  conditions  are  not  what  they  might 
be.  Hence  there  is  no  reason  for  limiting  the  idea 
to  the  large  industries.  The  more  relentlessly 
the  idea  is  developed  in  the  commercial  world,  the 
greater  will  be  the  reasons  for  extending  the  princi- 
ple of  mental  and  moral  efficiency  into  all  depart- 
ments of  life. 

Looking  at  the  matter  from  the  point  of  view 
of  the  individual,  the  first  need  is  that  each  man 
shall  find  something  that  he  can  do  and  do  well, 
thereby  gaining  the  power  required  for  advance- 
ment. He  may  then  make  a  study  of  the  conditions 
most  likely  to  secure  progress.  The  man  who 
becomes  a  skilled  workman  or  manager  does  not 
necessarily  begin  in  the  occupation  in  which  he 
eventually  achieves  success,  but  he  puts  his  ener- 
gies in  motion  and  then  uses  his  powers  of  initiative. 
For  every  man  must  learn  the  art  of  work,  acquir- 
ing the  power  to  apply  himself,  to  be  thorough,  to 
hold  out.  This  means  concentration  on  the  task 
at  hand  with  a  view  to  cutting  down  the  waste, 
observation  to  see  wherein  the  work  can  be  im- 


io  Human  Efficiency 

proved,  what  conditions  should  be  changed,  what 
alterations  should  be  made  in  the  machinery  and 
in  executive  management.  The  artisan  may  have 
no  opportunity  to  make  changes  or  introduce 
improvements,  for  his  ideas  may  not  be  wanted. 
But  he  can  think.  He  can  learn  the  art  of  adapta- 
tion, patiently  biding  his  time.  He  can  acquire 
control,  and  store  away  knowledge.  If  he  takes 
the  long  look  ahead,  watching  to  see  whither  trade  is 
tending,  what  changes  are  imminent,  in  what  place 
to  locate,  he  will  be  in  a  position  to  strike  out  and 
reveal  his  talent  or  genius.  What  he  needs  above 
all  is  initiative,  creative  ideas,  definite  plans  of 
action  to  which  he  can  give  himself  in  full  vigour. 
While  he  may  not  be  wanted  as  an  expert  workman 
he  may  indeed  be  eagerly  sought  for  as  a  planner 
or  executive  manager.  Thus  mental  application 
to  a  purely  manual  task  may  lead  the  way  through 
mere  routine  to  intellectual  efficiency.  Efficiency 
as  an  individual  ideal  is  without  limits. 

Some  of  the  most  expert  men  and  women  in  the 
world  gained  their  preliminary  training  in  remote 
fields.  Success  in  an  undertaking  does  not  neces- 
sarily mean  long  preparation  in  that  type  of  work. 
The  man  who  watches  his  opportunity  is  able  to 
seize  upon  certain  directive  ideas,  learn  an  import- 
ant method,  then  carry  over  into  the  new  occupa- 
tion the  power  and  the  ideas  which  he  has  acquired 
elsewhere.  The  occasion  that  "makes  the  man" 


Efficiency  as  an  Ideal  n 

is  an  event  that  summons  into  full  activity  the 
best  habits,  forces,  and  ideas  which  various  experi- 
ences have  produced.  Co-ordination  of  powers  is 
oftentimes  of  more  consequence  than  specific  skill. 
Granted  a  certain  command  of  the  resources  that 
constitute  a  live  individual,  the  other  requisites 
may  be  quickly  acquired.  Thus  a  good  teacher  will 
turn  to  a  new  subject  and  begin  successful  instruc- 
tion in  it  by  reading  a  few  lessons  ahead  of  the 
class,  or  a  wide-awake  young  man  in  need  of 
employment  will  consult  works  of  reference  in  a 
library  and  secure  a  position  over  the  heads  of  men 
who  have  had  experience  in  that  field.  The 
development  of  the  modern  idea  in  scientific  form 
will  enable  an  increasing  number  to  grasp  and 
apply  the  principles  although  they  may  not  have 
been  trained  in  a  scientific  establishment. 

A  common  mode  of  regarding  the  question  of 
successful  work  is  in  the  light  of  the  training 
required  to  fulfil  the  duties  of  the  chosen  vocation. 
Hence  many  young  people  wait  until  they  have 
found  a  congenial  occupation  before  they  begin 
to  become  efficient.  Or,  efficiency  is  identified 
with  manual  skill  and  there  the  matter  is  supposed 
to  end.  But  it  is  a  mistake  to  postpone  the  day  of 
preparation,  or  wait  for  the  right  leaders.  The 
greatest  time-planner  in  the  world  could  not 
create  efficiency.  Increased  efficiency  at  one  point 
calls  for  efficiency  at  all  points.  The  way  to  learn 


12  Human  Efficiency 

this  and  to  prove  it  is  to  begin  with  the  individual, 
that  is,  with  yourself.  One  can  hardly  consider 
the  matter  in  full  seriousness  without  gaining  a 
new  view  of  the  whole  of  life.  For  this  question, 
we  insist,  is  not  limited  to  economic  conditions 
and  tendencies.  Nor  is  it  a  mere  question  of 
environment.  There  may  of  course  be  factors  at 
work  which  make  it  difficult  even  for  the  most 
skilled  labourer  to  find  a  place  worthy  of  his  powers. 
It  is  not  alone  the  soul-less  corporation  that  makes 
this  difficult,  but  unfortunate  restrictions  placed 
on  skilled  performance  by  the  labour  unions  which 
tend  to  bring  down  the  average,  hence  to  discour- 
age efficiency.  Nevertheless,  there  is  always  room 
for  the  growth  of  inner  efficiency,  for  the  develop- 
ment of  the  individual  through  acquisition  of  the 
power  that  creates  occasions.  Our  inquiry  begins 
in  earnest  when  we  learn  how  we  are  actually 
using  our  energies  to-day. 

A  teacher  of  ethics,  dissatisfied  with  the  usual 
results  of  class-room  instruction,  once  asked  a 
hundred  young  men  and  women  to  take  careful 
note  for  a  week  of  the  way  they  lived,  their  modes 
of  work,  methods  of  thought,  manner  of  resting, 
taking  pleasure,  and  the  like.  He  did  not  preach 
to  them  or  propound  a  moral  doctrine,  but  merely 
asked  them  to  observe.  The  results  were  gratify- 
ing in  the  extreme.  The  thought  required  to  make 
these  discoveries  revealed  manifold  directions  in 


Efficiency  as  an  Ideal  13 

which  improvements  could  be  made.  Better 
methods  of  study,  wiser  modes  of  living,  and  higher 
ideals  followed  in  due  time  as  matters  of  course. 
Such  results  prove  that  the  self-consciousness 
demanded  for  purposes  of  observation  is  worth 
while.  They  show,  in  fact,  that  without  taking 
careful  thought  to  learn  how  we  now  live  and 
work,  we  can  hardly  expect  to  work  and  live  in 
any  better  way.  Sometimes,  as  a  wise  man  has 
remarked,  "nothing  succeeds  like  failure." 

In  due  course,  there  will  doubtless  be  vocational 
and  other  experts  who  will  carry  these  matters 
farther  back  through  wise  advice  given  to  the 
young  in  plastic  periods.  Education  for  effi- 
ciency will  then  become  the  standard.  But  first 
we  must  educate  our  experts.  The  expert  who  shall 
show  us  how  to  find  ourselves,  summon  ideals  into 
actuality,  and  point  out  the  best  we  can  do,  must 
have  a  firm  grasp  of  fundamental  principles, 
must  begin  with  himself.  For,  plainly,  something 
more  is  required  than  knowledge  of  the  various 
vocations  and  professions  under  the  changing 
conditions  of  our  time,  supplemented  by  a  working 
scheme  of  the  four  types  of  human  character  by 
which  people  are  judged.  Something  more  than 
disinterested  desire  to  serve  humanity  is  also 
required,  namely,  insight,  coupled  with  a  wide 
range  of  sympathies.  There  must  be  a  method 
by  which  to  learn  through  skilful  conversations 


14  Human  Efficiency 

and  the  study  of  written  reports,  what  manner  of 
man  the  youth  in  question  is  tending  to  become. 
Again,  the  vocational  expert  may  well  make  use  of 
every  aid,  such  as  acute  observation  of  facial 
characteristics,  general  appearance,  handwriting, 
hints  gathered  from  mannerisms,  deportment, 
modes  of  speech,  and  from  inferences  based  on 
general  impressions.  Yet  back  of  all  this  lies  the 
necessity  for  a  science  of  human  nature  fundamen- 
tal alike  to  the  vocations,  the  professions,  and  to 
life.  Hence  we  have  to  do  with  precisely  the  same 
need  which  faces  the  individual  who  takes  all 
these  matters  into  his  own  hands.  Efficiency  is 
not  merely  a  vocational  idea  but  pertains  to  the 
whole  of  life.  It  is  a  human  question. 

Until  our  attention  is  called  to  the  deeper 
considerations,  we  are  apt  to  think  of  efficiency  as 
wholly  external,  well  exemplified  by  the  carpenter 
who  knows  how  to  mold  and  fit  boards  because  he 
has  been  trained  to  use  appropriate  tools  in  method- 
ical fashion.  Industrial  efficiency  at  large  appears 
to  be  no  less  external.  This  is  of  course  why  the 
whole  question  apparently  revolves  about  the  idea 
of  making  a  livelihood,  or  attaining  commercial 
success.  The  transition  is  easy  to  a  merely  material- 
istic theory  of  economics  or  social  reform.  To  hold 
such  a  view  would  be  to  give  vocational  advice 
accordingly,  thereby  aiding  every  one  to  find  his 
place  in  the  hard-and-fast  world  of  business. 


Efficiency  as  an  Ideal  15 

Not  even  in  the  commercial  world,  however, 
does  such  a  view  obtain  exclusively.  The  problem 
of  efficiency  becomes  a  moral  one  for  every  em- 
ployer and  for  every  worker  who  endeavours  to  do 
his  best,  what  is  right.  No  thoughtful  man 
is  likely  to  be  satisfied  unless  endeavouring  to 
make  himself  more  efficient,  and  this  interest  very 
quickly  leads  out  of  the  commercial  and  the  exter- 
nal into  the  moral  world.  Self-knowledge  and  the 
control  of  energy  enable  men  in  all  the  walks  of 
life  to  become  more  efficient.  The  better  equipped 
a  man  is  mentally  the  more  successfully  he  will 
work  at  any  task,  however  objective.  Hence  the 
deeper  questions  are, What  is  intellectual  efficiency? 
What  is  really  worth  while?  For  educational  and 
moral  principles  must  also  be  subjected  to  effi- 
ciency as  the  new  test — efficiency  not  in  a  sordid 
sense  of  the  term,  but  in  the  largest  humanitarian 
sense. 

We  do  not  need  to  spend  much  time  observing 
the  ways  and  wiles  of  men  in  legislative  halls  to 
discover  that  there  is  an  enormous  waste  of  energy. 
The  complete  and  genuine  introduction  of  business 
methods  into  the  senate  and  the  house,  as  in  the 
case  of  government  by  commission,  would  doubt- 
less result  in  remarkable  improvements.  Likewise 
in  the  schools  and  in  the  churches,  in  the  manage- 
ment of  public  institutions,  there  is  room  for 
great  improvement.  We  need  not  fear  lest  the 


16  Human  Efficiency 

encroachment  of  the  scientific  theory  of  business 
shall  mean  the  greater  triumph  of  materialism,  or 
even  of  commercialism;  for  it  is  essentially  a 
question  of  increased  efficiency  in  general,  and 
efficiency  means  in  the  end  more  room  for  higher 
interests. 

In  a  sense,  we  seriously  begin  to  live  for  the 
first  time  when  we  undertake  to  make  ourselves 
thoroughly  efficient.  The  ideals  of  efficiency  ap- 
peal to  a  man  even  when  education,  moral  suasion, 
and  religion  have  failed.  The  saying  that ' '  nothing 
succeeds  like  success"  arouses  a  response  from 
every  sort  of  man.  Efficiency  is  another  word  for 
success  in  this  practical  age  of  ours.  It  begins 
in  all  seriousness  with  the  more  central  problem, 
What  is  within  man's  power?  For  the  radical  de- 
fect of  many  principles  and  methods  in  education, 
in  religion,  in  commercial  life,  is  that  they  spring 
from  theoretical  considerations,  whereas  success 
means  adaptation  to  the  actual  forces  and  condi- 
tions which  confront  men  and  women  in  the  real 
world. 

If  the  day  of  the  time-planner  is  at  hand,  the 
day  of  the  one  who  shall  teach  us  to  understand, 
control,  master,  skilfully  use,  and  wisely  conserve 
our  energies  must  follow.  So  long  as  the  time- 
planner  shall  rule,  the  question  of  efficiency  will 
indeed  be  essentially  external ;  but  when  the  centre 
of  interest  shifts  to  the  energies  that  must  be 


Efficiency  as  an  Ideal  17 

mastered  before  one  can  intelligently  save  time, 
the  whole  matter  becomes  an  individual  one.  As 
such  it  underlies  all  human  work,  is  of  vital 
importance  for  every  human  being. 

In  a  former  age  it  might  still  have  been  main- 
tained that  the  question  of  the  control  of  our 
energies  is  an  external  one,  that  we  acquire  the 
art  by  physical  exercise,  through  out-of-door 
sports  and  through  skill  in  manual  vocations. 
But  in  the  light  of  the  profounder  knowledge  of 
our  day  we  now  realise  that  more  depends  upon 
character,  and  the  sort  of  doctrine  or  standard 
to  which  a  man  is  subject.  It  is  difficult  for  some 
even  now  to  see  that  this  is  the  case,  hence  it  is 
necessary  to  be  most  explicit  in  the  insistence 
upon  psychological  considerations. 

Yet  one  does  not  need  to  look  far  even  in  the 
commercial  world  to  find  reason  to  believe  that 
psychology  is  in  many  respects  the  most  import- 
ant science.  It  is  now  widely  acknowledged,  for 
instance,  that  a  great  deal  depends  upon  the 
impression  produced  by  advertisements,  hence 
more  attention  is  given  to  the  preparation  of 
advertisements  by  experts.  In  fact,  more  than 
half  the  success  of  many  ventures  depends  upon 
the  manner  of  presentation  to  the  public.  Again, 
the  art  of  salesmanship  depends  in  part  on  the 
methods  employed  to  persuade  the  human  mind. 
Every  executive  leader  must  know  how  to  approach 


1 8  Human  Efficiency 

those  who  work  under  and  with  him.  Back  of 
every  undertaking  in  the  world  of  affairs  there  are 
principles  that  make  for  success,  hence  the  psycho- 
logy of  success  naturally  becomes  an  interest  in 
itself.  To  make  the  science  explicit  is  to  prepare 
the  way  for  a  further  development  of  the  art  of 
success. 

It  is  significant  that  Mr.  Taylor  declares  that 
"the  chief  and  essential  feature  of  scientific 
management  is  the  change  in  the  mental  attitude 
of  both  employer  and  employees  toward  their 
common  work."1  Hence  persuasion  must  take 
the  lead,  supported  by  the  long  series  of  object 
lessons  which  prove  to  each  man  the  advantages 
to  be  gained  through  hearty  co-operation  in  carry- 
ing out  the  idea  of  efficiency.  Furthermore,  time 
is  required  to  make  the  demonstration  complete, 
a  few  men  must  be  persuaded,  then  larger  numbers, 
until  whole  social  groups  respond.  The  idea 
grows  enormously  in  import  when  it  is  seen  that 
efficiency  involves  the  substitution  of  science  for 
"rule  of  thumb"  methods  all  along  the  line,  the 
development  of  harmony  in  place  of  discords,  the 
substitution  of  co-operation  as  a  working  idea  in 
place  of  individualism,  and  the  development  of 
resources  in  such  a  manner  as  to  add  to  the  wel- 
fare of  all  concerned.  This  means  far  more  thought 
given  to  every  factor  and  every  branch  of  work 

1  American  Magazine,  May,  1911. 


Efficiency  as  an  Ideal  19 

than  formerly.  It  means  that  questions  such  as 
that  of  just  compensation,  and  what  constitutes 
a  fair  day's  work,  will  be  objects  for  scientific 
investigation,  no  longer  wrangled  over  in  dis- 
cordant fashion.  More  than  anything  else,  Mr. 
Taylor  believes,  will  be  the  gain  accomplished 
through  "the  close,  intimate  co-operation,  the 
personal  conduct  established"  between  the  two 
sides  in  the  labouring  world ;  for  it  is  difficult  for 
those  "whose  interests  are  the  same,  and  who  work 
side  by  side  in  accomplishing  the  same  object  .  .  . 
to  keep  up  a  quarrel."  The  change  conies  about 
not  merely  because  the  workman  has  grown  in 
industrial  efficiency,  but  because  he  has  "acquired 
a  friendly  mental  attitude  towards  his  employers, 
and  his  whole  working  conditions,  whereas  before 
a  considerable  part  of  his  time  was  spent  in  criti- 
cism, suspicious  watchfulness,  and  sometimes  in 
open  warfare.  This  direct  gain  to  all  of  those 
working  under  the  system  is  without  doubt  the 
most  important  single  element  in  the  whole 
problem."1 

The  importance  of  these  changes  begins  to 
dawn  upon  our  consciousness  when  we  realise 
that  the  whole  sphere  of  interest  has  shifted  to 
the  human  world,  and  to  the  world  of  mind.  This 
means  that  a  prof  ounder  study  of  human  character 

1  Op.  cit.  See  also  Mr.  Taylor's  recently  published  volume, 
The  Principles  of  Scientific  Management,  New  York,  191 1. 


2O  Human  Efficiency 

becomes  imperative,  and  with  it  a  study  of  all  the 
influences  that  effect  human  life.  We  can  no 
longer  leave  these  factors  to  "rule  of  thumb" 
methods  but  must  be  as  scientific  in  our  study  of 
mental  attitudes  and  influences  as  in  the  investi- 
gation of  the  conditions  that  make  for  industrial 
efficiency.  The  scientific  study  of  the  mind  and 
character  of  men  has  long  been  in  process,  to  be 
sure,  but  now  it  is  becoming  possible  to  establish 
the  connection  as  never  before  between  the  intellec- 
tual sciences  and  the  industrial  arts.  Whatever 
the  occupation,  environment,  or  social  position  of 
workman,  manager,  or  any  other  man  or  woman, 
the  subject  of  mental  efficiency  forthwith  becomes 
a  subject  of  great  importance. 

In  accordance  with  these  tendencies,  the  capi- 
talist must  as  surely  become  aware  of  reformative 
influences  as  the  labouring  man.  The  time  should 
come  when  the  severe,  relentless,  cruel  types  shall 
cease  to  be.  Instead,  we  should  have  more  heads 
of  industries  of  the  type  already  in  existence  in 
many  quarters,  that  of  the  kindly  disposed  capi- 
talist who  has  the  welfare  of  each  of  his  workers 
at  heart,  who  confers  with  them,  and  affords  full 
opportunity  for  the  expression  of  ideas  from  all 
quarters;  whose  ideal  is  not  merely  to  develop  a 
successful  commercial  enterprise  in  the  face  of 
fierce  competition,  but  to  be  all  that  is  best  as  a 
human  being,  a  genuine  man.  For  no  man  is 


Efficiency  as  an  Ideal  21 

really  efficient  if  a  mere  machine  for  money-making 
any  more  than  a  manual  worker  can  be  deemed 
successful  if  a  mere  cog  in  the  great  industrial 
engine.  Hence  the  time  must  come  when  co- 
operation in  the  largest  sense  shall  not  only  bring 
labour  and  capital  closely  together,  but  when  it 
shall  introduce  radical  changes  in  the  very  life  and 
system  of  the  commercial  world.  The  beginning 
of  all  this  is  in  the  realm  of  the  idea. 

The  psychology  of  efficiency  must  win  its  way  as 
inQustrial  efficiency  has  been  fought  for.  But  the 
battle  can  be  won  by  making  the  utmost  of  ten- 
dencies already  in  operation.  One  branch  of  the 
subject  readily  leads  to  another,  and  to  all  the  rest, 
when  we  once  grasp  the  idea.  If,  for  example, 
there  be  a  "psychology  of  dressmaking"  as  some 
allege,  there  must  be  a  psychology  of  fashions  in 
general,  hence  of  conventional  life,  including  the 
power  and  distributive  influence  of  the  contagious 
idea,  the  law  of  imitation,  the  subserviency  of  the 
many  to  the  few.  New  light  is  being  thrown  on  all 
the  undertakings  of  men  by  this  growing  interest 
in  mental  laws  and  processes.  The  psychology 
of  religion,  for  example,  is  one  of  the  newer 
branches  of  this  modern  tree  of  knowledge,  highly 
important  because  in  a  measure  fundamental  even 
to  modern  criticism  itself.  The  result  is  profounder 
knowledge  of  the  ways  in  which  the  mind  operates 
in  the  development  of  its  beliefs,  their  emotional 


22  Human  Efficiency 

accompaniments,  and  other  associates.  Thus  to 
know  what  a  man  believes,  or  is  likely  to  believe, 
in  so  far  as  you  may  wish  to  influence  him,  you 
must  know  how  his  mind  works.  Moreover,  there 
are  many  popular  beliefs  in  our  day,  all  more  or 
less  psychological  in  type,  involving  new  hopes, 
sometimes  confusions  of  ideas,  and  reaching  into 
every  pathway  of  human  endeavour;  and  the  only 
way  to  deal  with  these  intelligently  is  through 
knowledge  of  genuinely  scientific  psychology. 
For  example,  there  are  people  in  our  day  who 
have  gone  so  far  over  into  the  mental  world,  in 
their  reaction  against  materialism,  that  it  seems 
no  longer  necessary  to  take  physical  and  economic 
conditions  into  account.  For  them  everything 
depends  upon  the  idea,  and  they  see  such  potency 
in  mental  attitudes  that  they  believe  these  alone 
will  work  physical  and  economic  changes  by  direct 
impact.  The  result  is  a  new  series  of  illusions  in 
favour  of  a  supposed  royal  road  to  wealth  and  success 
of  all  sorts,  a  new  attempt  to  shirk  responsibility, 
and  to  wait  in  theoretical  idleness  for  everything 
to  be  made  right.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say 
that  such  a  belief  is  even  more  removed  from 
adaptation  to  natural  law  than  belief  in  material 
forces  as  fundamentally  decisive.  For  if  we  begin 
with  material  factors  we  can  indeed  work  upward 
into  the  life  of  the  idea,  while  to  begin  with  the 
idea  is  to  prepare  for  a  downfall  in  order  that  we 


Efficiency  as  an  Ideal  23 

may  first  reckon  with  natural  facts.  The  psycho- 
logy of  efficiency  must  be  founded  both  in  the  idea 
and  in  the  thing. 

It  would  of  course  be  possible  to  overestimate 
the  function  of  psychology,  since  it  is  not  the  most 
fundamental  science,  and  must  be  completed  by 
ethics  and  other  branches  of  philosophy.  Never- 
theless, for  practical  purposes  it  is  most  useful, 
and  it  may  be  employed  without  prejudice  in 
favour  of  any  particular  economic,  religious,  or 
sectarian  scheme.  Psychology  is  in  truth  as 
general  as  efficiency  itself,  and  the  disciple  of 
external  or  economic  reform  has  as  much  reason 
to  master  and  employ  it  as  the  apostle  of  the 
spiritual  life.  In  fact,  it  is  so  good  an  intermediary 
as  a  merely  descriptive  science,  that  the  more  one 
knows  about  it  the  less  need  there  is  for  knowledge 
of  the  special  beliefs  to  which  men  are  subject. 
For  if  a  mental  master,  one  is  to  a  large  extent 
master  of  all  the  arts,  able  to  take  the  shortest 
course  to  any  end  which  one  wishes  to  attain. 
Psychology  is  thus  in  a  sense  even  more  important 
than  education  as  commonly  regarded,  since  in 
addition  to  the  usual  accomplishments  it  adds  the 
more  crucial  one  of  insight  into  the  processes  by 
which  educated  and  uneducated  alike  ply  their 
several  vocations. 

The  relationship  between  the  types  of  efficiency 
may  be  made  clear  by  classifying  some  as  quantita- 


24  Human  Efficiency 

tive,  others  as  qualitative.  The  typical  devotee 
of  commercialism  is  interested  in  making  as  much 
money  as  he  can,  and  the  corporation  is  merely  a 
more  effective  means  of  attaining  this  end.  Natur- 
ally the  business  man  welcomes  the  new  science 
of  business,  and  makes  the  utmost  of  the  idea  of 
industrial  efficiency.  In  fact,  he  would  like  to  see 
this  idea  carried  out  in  every  department  of  life, 
and  if  he  could  have  his  way  he  would  modify 
all  the  schools  and  colleges  so  that  every  boy  and 
girl  should  be  trained  for  efficiency  from  the  start. 
The  result  would  be  that  time-schedules  would  be 
introduced  even  into  the  college  class-room,  and  no 
subjects  would  be  taught  save  those  which  plainly 
tend  to  increase  the  commercial  efficiency  of  men. 
So  far  the  standard  is  merely  quantitative,  and  if 
this  standard  could  triumph  we  should  live  in  a 
strictly  mechanical  world. 

We  need  not  look  far  to  discover  that  every- 
thing of  real  value  is  qualitative,  hence  that  the 
only  justification  of  mechanical  efficiency  lies  in 
its  contributory  power.  To  insist  on  the  time- 
factor  in  every  undertaking,  to  endeavour  to  get 
the  utmost  out  of  every  man  during  every  waking 
hour,  would  be  to  surrender  the  ideals  of  human 
existence.  On  the  other  hand,  the  moment  even 
the  crudest  manual  labourer,  or  the  most  grasping 
capitalist,  begins  to  do  his  best  as  a  man  he  departs 
from  the  quantitative  standard.  Hence  one  may 


Efficiency  as  an  Ideal  25 

live  in  the  ideal  world  although  habitually  adapted 
to  the  mundane  order,  one  may  be  moral  although 
holding  a  subordinate  position,  and  working  a 
great  number  of  hours.  There  are  any  number  of 
undertakings  that  cannot  be  carried  on  upon  the 
basis  of  a  time-schedule,  since  it  is  thought  that 
counts,  not  things;  values,  not  money;  character, 
not  material  success.  Many  educational  subjects 
are  of  this  type,  also  all  institutions  which  like 
the  universities  and  churches  have  the  aesthetic, 
cultural,  and  religious  interests  of  man  to  teach,  to 
develop,  and  conserve. 

Now,  psychology  admirably  serves  as  a  connect- 
ing science  between  the  quantitative  and  qualita- 
tive because  it  relates  to  the  powers  which  men 
employ  in  both  fields.  To  be  the  most  successful 
artisan,  manager,  or  capitalist,  a  man  must  con- 
sider the  problem  of  the  nature,  training,  wise  use, 
and  conservation  of  his  energies;  for  he  must  be  a 
man  of  skill,  control,  initiative,  intellectual  effi- 
ciency. But  no  man  can  thus  regard  his  inner 
powers  without  raising  the  question  of  values, 
what  is  right,  what  is  worth  while.  He  may  indeed 
retreat  into  the  quantitative  world,  closing  the 
door  upon  the  ideal.  But  to  those  of  us  who  will 
to  be  human  beings  the  relationship  of  the  quanti- 
tative to  the  qualitative  is  the  crucial  one.  Human 
efficiency  begins  with  the  transition  into  the 
qualitative.  Time  is  a  consideration  of  value  only 


26  Human  Efficiency 

so  far  as  it  serves  ends  that  are  worth  while.  Even 
in  the  business  world  men  originally  started  to 
provide  for  the  production  and  distribution  of 
life's  necessities,  to  contribute  a  worthy  share  to 
the  world's  work;  and  if  the  commercial  interest 
as  such  has  in  a  measure  become  triumphant  in 
our  time  we  must  see  to  it  that  it  is  only  for  a  time. 
To  be  a  human  being,  a  person,  contributing 
something  to  human  character  and  thought,  is  the 
end  that  really  justifies  the  use  of  quantitative 
means. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  BASIS  OF  EFFICIENCY 

OTRICTLY  speaking,  our  study  of  efficiency 
O  should  begin  with  an  investigation  of  life 
in  general.  For  much  depends  on  the  scope  of  our 
thought.  If  not  devoted  to  a  religious  view  which 
emphasises  the  supernatural  and  has  regard  for  the 
future  life,  we  may  be  disciples  of  a  modern  theory 
of  social  reform.  Hence  the  first  considerations 
would  naturally  pertain  to  society  as  a  whole, 
lest  we  tend  to  slight  one  class  in  favour  of  another 
or  insist  on  a  narrowly  defined  social  program. 
But  for  present  purposes  we  may  assume  sufficient 
knowledge  of  nature,  of  human  life  and  society, 
also  belief  in  the  rightful  place  of  natural  exist- 
ence as  opposed  to  a  supernatural  interpretation. 
Whatever  we  believe,  each  must  adapt  himself  to 
this  natural  world,  must  bear  relations  with  the 
economic  order,  and  find  his  place.  This  is  for- 
tunately true  even  of  the  least  practical  of  the 
idealists.  Hence  it  is  primarily  a  question  of  the 
present  use  of  resources  and  mental  powers. 

27 


28  Human  Efficiency 

Before  we  consider  the  elements  of  mental  and 
moral  efficiency,  it  is  important  to  have  before  us 
an  idea  of  the  efficient  life  at  large.  To  state  the 
need  thus  is  to  be  reminded  of  the  enormous 
differences  which  have  come  in  with  civilisation. 
Once  the  efficient  life  was  the  warrior's,  and  we 
have  not  yet  wholly  passed  out  of  the  period  of 
dominance  of  martial  passions  and  brute  strength. 
But  more  and  more  we  depend  on  brain-power, 
hence  the  efficient  life  consists  in  the  maintenance 
of  bodily  health  under  conditions  that  do  not 
readily  foster  it.  In  place  of  the  standards  of 
human  success  that  once  obtained,  so  great  a 
degree  of  specialisation  has  entered  into  life  that 
the  question  of  efficiency  differs  according  to  the 
occupation  and  the  adaptations  essential  to  the 
preservation  of  health.  But  even  when  there  are 
special  conditions  favourable,  for  example,  to 
teaching  as  a  profession,  there  are  underlying 
principles  which  every  right-minded  person  must 
consider.  Hence  the  efficient  life  pertains  not 
merely  to  health,  and  to  prof essional  relationships; 
it  includes  domestic  relationships,  those  that  re- 
late a  man  to  society  through  conventionality 
and  friendship,  intellectual  relationships,  moral 
obligations,  and  religious  ties.  Moreover,  individ- 
uals differ  in  heredity,  in  disposition,  education, 
and  environmental  conditions  of  many  sorts. 
The  best  way  to  regard  the  matter  would  appear  to 


The  Basis  of  Efficiency  29 

be,  not  to  turn  at  once  to  the  principles  that  relate 
to  a  given  vocation,  but  frankly  to  acknowledge 
what  human  nature  is,  then  consider  how  the 
ideal  man  would  adapt  himself  to  the  conditions 
of  life  at  large. 

For  the  basis  of  efficiency  is  recognition  of 
everything  that  enters  into  life.  Hence  it  must  be 
studied  dispassionately,  by  looking  beneath  pre- 
judices, beyond  partisanship,  but  also  beyond 
selfishness.  The  efficient  man  cannot  afford  to 
ignore  any  factor  either  within  or  without  himself, 
for  it  is  his  privilege  to  succeed  where  his  prede- 
cessors have  failed.  His  starting-point  is  not  doctri- 
nal but  scientific.  He  is  not  thinking  of  the  manual 
labourer  alone,  nor  of  the  capitalist,  not  even  of  one 
of  the  sexes.  His  standpoint  is  human.  There- 
fore, beginning  as  an  individual,  he  must  valiantly 
look  to  himself,  making  light  of  nothing,  realising 
that  it  is  a  question  not  of  deficiency,  but  of 
opportunity.  We  need  to  know  what  manner  of 
men  we  are,  then  consider  what  manner  of  men  we 
can  become.  The  art  of  adaptation  may  begin 
at  any  point  whatsoever  in  the  social  scale.  We 
have  already  made  headway  if,  free  from  envy, 
we  are  content  to  be  the  men  and  women  we  find 
ourselves  to  be,  not  in  a  merely  realistic  sense,  but 
ideally  speaking. 

The  efficient  man  is  not  seeking  to  make  the 
world  over.  He  is  not  trying  to  make  other  men 


30  Human  Efficiency 

like  himself.  He  accepts  the  world,  believes  in 
his  fellows,  depends  on  natural  law,  and  faithfully 
engages  in  his  work  day  by  day.  Inspired  by 
self-reliance,  he  does  indeed  hope  to  transform  his 
life  in  some  measure,  improve  his  character,  and 
take  more  satisfaction  in  real  living.  But  he  is 
content  above  all  to  realise  his  type,  willing  to 
live  and  let  live.  In  so  far  as  he  expects  to  con- 
tribute to  the  reformation  of  human  society,  it  is 
through  fidelity  to  the  work  which  his  hands  find 
to  do.  Well  aware  that  people  cannot  be  made  over, 
that  they  are  seldom  persuaded  of  anything  by 
argument,  he  knows  that  his  power  lies  in  example, 
not  in  precept.  Thus  at  the  outset  he  conserves 
his  energy  by  refraining  from  coerciveness  and 
officious  propagandism. 

This  self-restraint  implies  knowledge  of  the 
principle  of  evolution.  He  has  already  advanced  a 
stage  on  his  way  who  has  learned  once  for  all  that 
nothing  comes  about  save  by  moderate  degrees, 
although  there  may  be  rapid  fruitions  after 
months  or  years  of  preparation.  He  has  advanced 
further  still  who  knows  that  no  man  ever  acquires 
anything  except  through  experience.  This  means 
the  casting  aside  of  many  misconceptions,  pre- 
judices, and  fears.  It  means  steady  concentration 
on  the  work  at  hand.  For  one  is  not  then  en- 
deavouring to  acquire  secret  powers.  One  knows 
in  truth  that  there  are  no  royal  roads.  Therefore 


The  Basis  of  Efficiency  31 

one  endeavours  to  advance  cumulatively.  The  re- 
sult is  freedom  to  work  and  live,  without  the 
distresses  and  doubts  that  harass  many  minds. 

Whatever  our  heredity,  we  begin  life  fairly 
near  the  animal  level,  with  impulses  and  instincts 
to  contend  with,  emotions  that  struggle  for  pos- 
session, habits  that  frequently  master  us;  and  a 
body  in  which  all  these  tendencies  reside.  Hence 
we  all  start  life  in  about  the  same  manner,  namely, 
as  responsive  beings  possessing  a  fair  amount  of 
human  capital.  As  creatures  of  habit  the  entire 
conservatism  of  human  nature  speaks  through  us, 
and  whatever  headway  we  make  must  be  made 
against  opposition.  This  means  contest  with  the 
forces,  inertias,  and  passions  of  the  flesh,  on  the  one 
hand;  while,  on  the  other,  we  face  the  influences 
that  keep  men  in  the  long-established  vocations 
and  professions,  the  prevailing  economic  and  re- 
ligious creeds,  the  limited  pathways  of  traditional 
education.  As  creatures  of  self-will,  we  shirk 
responsibility  and  wait  for  opportunities  which 
we  might  create,  we  ride  over  our  fellows,  and  push 
competitors  to  the  wall  in  the  mad  race  for  success. 
Only  so  far  as  we  realise  the  egotisms  of  human 
nature  yet  see  beyond  them,  are  we  likely  to  make 
sure  headway  in  transforming  character. 

Time  was  when  we  would  have  condemned  our- 
selves for  our  sin,  for  the  possession  of  laziness, 
irascibility,  and  sensuality.  But  the  efficient  man 


32  Human  Efficiency 

takes  himself  in  all  respects  as  he  is,  so  far  as 
resources  and  elements  are  concerned,  knowing 
that  the  first  need  is  wise  use  of  the  forces  at  hand, 
whatever  they  may  have  been  called  in  the  past. 
As  a  wise  man  recently  put  it,  ''there  has  been 
preaching  enough,  we  have  been  told  without 
limit  what  we  ought  to  do;  what  we  now  need  is 
practical  help  from  some  one  who  has  learned  how 
to  do  what  he  ought."  Transmutation  of  energy 
is  the  modern  ideal.  It  is  a  question  of  the  nature 
and  training  of  the  will,  the  nature  of  ideals,  the 
art  of  concentration,  and  the  laws  of  evolution 
of  human  character.  To  look  at  the  matter  in  this 
light  is  to  be  able  to  develop  a  program  without 
paralysing  self-condemnation  or  benumbing  self- 
disparagement.  That  is,  we  first  look  at  life  in 
mental  terms,  leaving  ultimate  issues  for  future 
occasions.  To  begin  to  do  what  we  ought  is  to 
consider  how  to  utilise  every  power  that  is  in  us 
so  that  it  shall  serve  all  the  other  parts.  In  the 
light  of  this  standard,  self-condemnation  is  waste 
of  energy.  So  is  discouragement,  regret,  jealousy, 
bitterness. 

But  if  we  begin  life  as  creatures  of  impulse  and 
habit,  we  also  begin  with  certain  activities  which 
send  us  forth  to  accomplishment.  The  significant 
consideration  is  not  what  we  came  from,  not  the 
forces  that  tend  to  draw  us  back  or  hold  us  down, 
but  the  life  which  ever  rises  with  fresh  zeal  and 


The  Basis  of  Efficiency  33 

newness  of  heart.  Hence  mere  analysis  of  the 
factors  and  conditions  which  have  made  us  what 
we  are  is  of  slight  avail  in  comparison  with  the 
indomitable  spirit  that  uses  them.  The  man  who 
becomes  efficient  is  the  one  who  starts  his  organism 
in  motion,  who  keeps  in  motion,  learns  by  doing, 
and  acquires  his  knowledge  of  the  highway  to  suc- 
cess by  actively  thinking  along  the  road  that  leads 
into  it. 

The  first  stage  of  reflection  naturally  pertains 
to  our  desires.  That  is,  we  find  ourselves  pursu- 
ing certain  ends  because  of  native  promptings  or 
aptitudes,  and  almost  before  we  ask  what  we 
can  do  best  we  discover  that  we  are  already  doing 
it  in  part.  But  art  leads  to  science,  and  after  a 
time  we  realise  that  the  eligible  desires  should  be 
co-ordinated  because  they  tend  to  further  our  end, 
while  other  ideas  should  be  permitted  to  run  out 
because  they  tend  to  defeat  our  purpose.  Thus  the 
one  who  wills  to  be  a  teacher  turns  from  tendencies 
which  would  make  a  commercial  man  of  him  and 
concentrates  on  chosen  subjects  which  he  is  pre- 
pared to  teach.  He  selects  people  of  a  certain  age 
to  instruct  because  best  adapted  to  them.  As  the 
years  pass  he  gives  increasing  attention  to  a 
branch  of  his  subject  in  which  he  hopes  to  excel. 
His  ideal  as  a  teacher  enables  him  to  select  between 
avocations,  opportunities  for  rest,  recreation  or 
pleasure,  and  so  to  shape  his  life  as  to  add  to  its 


34  Human  Efficiency 

efficiency  year  by  year.  In  this  way  there  is  a 
gradual  shifting  of  interest  from  mere  desires  and 
tendencies  to  ideals.  Thus  efficiency  takes  its 
clue  from  the  drawing  power  of  the  ideal,  the  co- 
ordinating influence  of  a  standard. 

The  starting-point  is  in  the  self-reliant  discovery 
that  each  of  us  has  a  right  to  be,  each  can  do  a 
work  in  the  world,  and  the  world  is  large  enough 
to  need  our  individual  contributions  to  art  and 
science.  Rightly  stated,  this  ideal  includes  every- 
body, whatever  his  heritage  or  talent,  whatever  his 
education  or  calling.  For  the  humblest  man  on 
earth  can  apply  his  powers  of  thought  to  the  condi- 
tions in  which  he  is  placed,  observe  what  is  about 
him,  and  begin  to  learn  its  tendencies  and  laws. 
Education  is  wider  than  environment,  more  inclu- 
sive than  any  institution  or  system  of  training. 
Education  at  its  best  springs  from  the  use  a  man 
makes  of  his  powers  of  thought,  supplemented  by 
the  opportunities  afforded  by  his  environment 
and  experience.  If  it  were  primarily  dependent 
on  heredity  or  native  talent,  or  chiefly  a  question 
of  institutional  training,  we  should  have  far  more 
educated  men  than  society  now  possesses. 

Very  much  depends,  therefore,  on  knowledge 
of  the  disposition  or  temperament  with  which  we 
begin  life,  supplemented  by  knowledge  acquired 
through  experience  or  education,  but  far  more  on 
the  will  or  character  which  uses  these  agencies 


The  Basis  of  Efficiency  35 

as  means  to  ends.  Character  should,  as  a  recent 
writer  says,  be  "carefully  distinguished  from 
disposition,  for  which  it  is  often  mistaken.  Dis- 
position or  temperament  is  the  individual  consti- 
tution which  comes  to  one  through  inheritance. 
It  is  the  racial-ancestral-parental  bequest  to  the 
individual.  It  is  his  capital  or  insolvency,  as  the 
case  may  be.  He  may  weld  it  into  character;  but 
as  yet  it  is  not  .  .  .  character. " T 

Successful  mental  life  begins  with  the  selection 
of  means  that  promise  well  for  the  expression  and 
development  of  character,  within  or  without  the 
institutions,  the  usual  vocations  and  professions. 
For  it  involves  initiative  and  a  measure  of  indepen- 
dence, hence  is  free  to  choose  one  of  several  roads, 
adopting  original  methods,  departing  from  custom 
or  making  full  use  of  it,  as  the  case  may  be.  It 
puts  an  objective  before  the  mind,  a  goal  to  be 
won.  The  mere  ideal,  steadily  and  persistently 
pursued,  is  a  sufficient  incentive  at  times.  At 
other  times,  downright  effort  to  overcome  the 
obstacle  directly  in  the  way  is  demanded.  Thus 
the  youth  who  long  dreams  of  becoming  a  legis- 
lator, physician,  artist,  or  author,  may  reach  a 
point  as  a  young  man  when  he  must  break  with 
the  entire  family  tradition.  Another  crisis  may 
come  when  the  intellectual  life  has  done  its  best 
for  him,  and  everything  depends  upon  his  passion 

1  Buckham,  Personality  and  the  Christian  Ideal. 


36  Human  Efficiency 

for  the  ideal,  the  ardent  loyalty  which  takes 
exception  to  the  measured  pace  of  custom  and 
creates  a  new  way. 

Efficiency  is  not  then  a  product  of  one  side  of 
our  nature,  but  is  the  whole  mind  in  productive 
exercise.  One  acquires  it  through  the  discovery 
of  native  capacities,  such  as  executive  ability  or 
creative  imagination;  through  latent  capacities 
brought  out  incidentally  to  meet  an  emergency  or  to 
fill  another's  place,  through  promotion,  the  sudden 
acceptance  of  responsibility;  as  well  as  through 
education  in  the  usual  sense  of  the  term,  train- 
ing, self-knowledge,  and  discipline.  We  become 
efficient  not  only  by  learning  to  do  one  thing  well, 
by  developing  all  our  powers  so  as  to  use  them  to 
best  advantage  through  economy  of  energy,  but 
by  keeping  at  our  work  when  enticing  interests 
draw  the  mind  into  side-issues.  Thus  while 
native  tendencies  or  talents  may  point  the  way  and 
show  what  one  can  best  do,  the  will  may  more 
and  more  take  command,  narrowing  the  field  for 
purposes  of  concentration  or  loyalty,  mayhap 
suddenly  shifting  to  an  allied  occupation. 

Thorough  knowledge  of  the  self  would  show 
what  phases  of  mental  life  are  native,  such  as 
instincts,  impulses,  passions,  habits,  aptitudes; 
what  are  acquired  through  discrimination,  the 
selection  of  incentives,  the  unifying  powers  of  the 
will,  through  analytical  or  constructive  thought; 


The  Basis  of  Efficiency  37 

and  what  ones  are  due  to  experience  through 
contact  with  the  world  and  various  types  of  men. 
The  logical  result  would  be  a  criterion  showing  to 
what  extent  the  intellectual  life  should  be  allowed 
to  take  the  lead  without  unduly  interfering  with 
the  spontaneities,  how  far  custom  may  be  followed 
without  sacrificing  independence,  originality,  and 
freedom.  For  efficiency  is  a  balance  between 
native  and  acquired  characteristics.  It  is  nothing 
if  not  acquired,  and  yet  the  training  by  which  it  is 
gained  should  never  be  permitted  to  extend  so  far 
that  the  joys  of  life  shall  be  overcome. 

Since  efficiency  has  a  physical  and  nervous 
basis,  many  of  us  first  become  aware  of  its  oppor- 
tunities through  the  control  we  possess  over  the 
body  through  skill  in  physical  exercise.  We  also 
realise  its  benefits  through  that  state  of  bodily 
well-being  which  leaves  us  free  to  work,  yet  insures 
rest,  the  wise  use  of  nervous  force  and  adaptation 
to  the  conditions  which  nature  imposes.1  But 
bodily  control  implies  a  parallel  development  on 
the  mental  side.  Hence  the  freedom  from  nervous- 
ness, the  control  at  the  centre  which  is  in  large 
part  the  secret  of  bodily  efficiency,  finds  its  coun- 
terpart in  poise,  absence  of  fear,  freedom  from 
anxiety  and  all  other  mental  states  that  tend  to 

1  Among  many  recent  treatises  that  bear  on  these  matters  one 
of  the  best  is  The  Efficient  Life,  by  Dr.  L.  H.  Gulick;  New  York, 
Doubleday,  Page  &  Co.,  1909. 


38  Human  Efficiency 

scatter  the  thoughts.  In  the  efficient  mind  all 
decisions  are  emphatically  made  and  promptly 
acted  upon;  there  is  wise  use  of  habits  through 
possession  of  an  inner  order  or  system  which  is 
superior  to  them;  and  increasing  control  through 
self-knowledge,  constancy,  firmness,  and  the  other 
qualities,  which  express  the  constructive  will. 
There  is  also  room  for  perspectives,  side-lights,  and 
the  repose  which  comes  through  the  possession 
of  an  avocation  supplementing  the  vocation. 
There  is  method,  yet  freedom  to  depart  from 
it. 

Does  this  enumeration  involve  so  much  that 
only  the  master  mind  can  realise  the  ideal?  Effi- 
ciency is  in  a  measure  a  synonym  for  mastership, 
yet  it  is  no  less  truly  an  ideal  for  the  man  of  aver- 
age capacity.  The  man  or  woman  with  fewer 
interests  and  less  capacity  than  the  person  with 
pronounced  talents  sometimes  becomes  efficient 
more  quickly.  The  humblest  calling  is  dignified 
by  the  manner  of  its  fulfilment.  Efficiency  is  not 
necessarily  many-sided,  but  the  efficient  life 
is  one  that  is  contributory  to  the  general  good, 
a  life  in  which,  whatever  the  specific  task,  there  is 
growth  furthered  by  productive  self-knowledge, 
a  life  characterised  by  purpose,  inspired  by  an 
ideal,  consecrated  by  earnest  endeavour. 

The  difficulties  we  encounter  in  the  endeavour 
to  apply  this  standard  to  all  the  vocations  and 


The  Basis  of  Efficiency  39 

professions  are  doubtless  due  to  lingering  traditions 
which  separate  manual  from  mental  and  spiritual 
work.  In  accordance  with  the  ideals  of  modern 
life,  we  are  assuming  in  the  present  study  that 
physical  work  when  well  done  implies  spiritual 
qualities,  and  that  the  true  spiritual  leader  is  able 
to  work  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow.  The  fully 
awake  human  being  faces  practically  the  same 
situation,  with  somewhat  the  same  needs,  tempta- 
tions, and  opportunities.  Hence  in  every  well 
regulated  life  there  is  inner  unity  or  co-ordination, 
selection  and  concentration  amidst  a  multitude  of 
promising  interests,  a  sound  mind  in  a  sound  body ; 
there  is  power  to  express  sentiment  and  affection 
or  to  withhold  it,  power  to  be  very  personal, 
intimate,  or  to  be  remote,  dispassionate,  judicial. 
In  such  a  life  the  sympathies  are  regulated  yet 
kept  thoroughly  alive,  childlikeness  is  preserved 
and  habit  is  employed  without  employing.  In  its 
higher  reaches  this  inner  control  preserves  a 
balance  between  spirit  and  form.  Ideas,  and 
reasons,  are  given  place,  but  room  is  reserved  for 
the  deeper  receptivity,  for  self-abandonment,  the 
free  expression  of  thought  and  feeling,  the  carrying 
power  of  consecrated  obedience.  There  is  regard 
for  good  form,  yet  room  for  originality,  a  balance 
between  training  and  life.  The  efficient  man, 
without  talking  too  much,  believes  in  himself 
without  taking  himself  too  seriously,  is  willing 


40  Human  Efficiency 

to  be  narrow  that  he  may  realise  "the  glory  of 
the  imperfect."1 

Consider  what  a  change  would  come  over  the 
world  if  we  were  to  unite  in  order  to  realise  the 
ideals  of  human  efficiency  by  granting  to  each 
the  right  to  do  his  best  work  under  the  best  con- 
ditions. The  engineers  of  the  fastest  express  trains 
between  New  York  and  Chicago  run  their  locomo- 
tives but  three  hours  in  a  day,  then  rest  an  entire 
day  before  starting  out  on  another  of  the  intensely 
exacting  runs  into  which  they  must  throw  their 
whole  energy  for  the  time  being.  The  close  concen- 
tration and  exhaustion  of  nervous  force  required 
for  such  a  performance  compels  these  skilled  men 
to  take  this  long  rest  in  order  to  keep  up  to  the 
mark.  It  is  matter  of  wisdom  on  the  part  of  their 
employers  to  grant  them  a  day  of  absolute  change, 
during  which  they  may  sleep,  play  with  their 
children,  or  do  whatever  they  like.  For  these  men 
this  work  becomes  an  art,  hence  a  means  for  realis- 
ing the  self.  The  greater  the  degree  of  efficiency 
the  more  reason  for  granting  to  workers  of  every 
sort  the  conditions  under  which  they  can  work 
best.  Give  every  man  and  woman  this  opportunity 
and  you  shall  have  a  moral  society.  This  attain- 
ment seems  out  of  the  question  for  many  of  us 
because  of  the  necessity  we  are  under  to  earn  a 

1  See  Professor  Palmer's  inspiring  essay  under  this  title  in 
The  Teacher,  Boston,  1908. 


The  Basis  of  Efficiency  41 

livelihood  at  anything  that  offers,  amidst  high 
prices,  grasping  corporations,  the  dishonesty  of 
the  world,  the  temptation  to  get  ahead  at  any  cost, 
the  slight  regard  paid  to  ideal  interests,  and  the 
unjust  distribution  of  resources.  Yet  these  con- 
ditions are  oftentimes  precisely  those  that  enable 
a  man  to  stand  erect  and  show  what  is  in  him. 

In  a  sense  it  matters  little  what  our  occupation 
is,  when  we  begin  to  achieve  this  end.  Of  course 
every  one  would  prefer  to  adopt  an  occupation  to 
his  Jiking.  But  the  majority  of  us  must  gradually 
win  the  right  to  do  what  we  prefer.  Meanwhile, 
what  is  more  important  than  to  do  whatever  is 
nearest  as  well  as  it  can  be  done,  or  at  least  as  well 
as  we  can  do  it?  Surely  there  is  a  relationship 
between  what  we  are  and  what  we  are  doing,  some 
reason  why  we  are  placed  exactly  as  we  are. 

In  the  first  place,  to  make  an  art  of  the  common- 
place occupation  in  which  we  may  be  engaged  is 
to  begin  to  economise  physical  energy  and  mental 
power.  Ordinarily  a  vast  deal  of  energy  is  wasted 
in  vain  discontent,  or  the  attempt  to  find  another 
kind  of  work  before  we  are  prepared  for  it.  To 
reduce  a  prosaic  occupation  to  an  art,  one  must 
put  much  thought  into  it,  become  absorbed  in 
careful  attention  to  details.  The  chances  are  that 
this  devotion  to  details  will  yield  such  valuable 
results  that  the  work  will  proceed  more  easily,  the 
worker  will  be  happier,  and  hence  a  still  higher 


42  Human  Efficiency 

standard  will  become  possible.  To  give  thought 
to  one's  work,  to  compare  the  skilful  with  the 
unskilled  labourer,  is  presently  to  learn  that  in 
unskilled  labour  the  physical  exertion  is  greater,  be- 
cause the  head  does  not  save  the  feet  and  hands. 
Observe  the  average  shiftless  maid-servant,  for 
example,  and  note  the  multitude  of  superfluous 
movements  of  the  hands  which  she  makes,  and  the 
number  of  extra  steps  she  takes,  instead  of  co- 
ordinating her  movements  about  the  house.  Or, 
note  the  people  who  work  and  live  nervously,  and 
trace  these  diffusions  of  energy  to  their  source, 
considering  in  what  mode  of  life  they  would  be 
overcome. 

There  is  undoubtedly  an  intimate  correspond- 
ence between  the  type  of  occupation  in  which 
one  is  engaged  and  the  personal  development  of 
the  one  who  is  engaged  in  it.  Hence  the  point  at 
which  to  advance  is  in  the  inner  life.  The  man  who 
has  not  made  an  art  of  his  work  has  probably  made 
little  headway  in  the  mastery  of  his  own  powers. 
To  accept  an  uncongenial  occupation  and  do  the 
work  well  is  often  the  most  direct  road  to  the  best 
that  is  desired  in  life.  There  is  nothing,  not  even 
the  seemingly  trivial  work  of  building  fires,  or 
washing  dishes,  that  may  not  be  made  part  of 
the  art  of  life.  It  may  require  but  little  thought  to 
learn  to  build  fires  skilfully,  or  wash  dishes  with  the 
least  expenditure  of  energy,  but  every  phase  of 


The  Basis  of  Efficiency  43 

work  that  is  brought  into  line  means  so  much 
power  added.  Behind  the  task  is  the  person  who 
makes  of  it  a  means  to  the  ideal,  the  attainment  of 
mastership.  Strictly  speaking,  no  one  should 
care  to  advance  until  he  masters  the  work  that  lies 
at  hand  in  such  a  manner  that  to  change  will  not 
be  to  evade  an  opportunity  for  growth  of  character. 
If  one  hopes  to  delegate  routine-work  to  others  in 
the  course  of  time,  let  him  earn  the  right  to  direct 
others  by  learning  how  to  do  well  all  phases  of  the 
work  that  lie  between  his  present  stage  and  that  of 
leadership. 

It  has  been  said  that  genius  is  the  power  of 
taking  infinite  pains.  However  that  may  be,  a 
man  may  be  a  genius  in  any  occupation  for  which 
he  is  fitted.  The  genius  makes  the  utmost  use  of 
each  little  item,  sees  all  there  is  in  a  thing.  One 
of  the  best  ways  to  quicken  this  love  of  work  in 
others  is  to  put  such  thought  and  zeal  into  one's 
vocation  that  others,  seeing  one's  joy,  shall  be 
inspired  thus  to  work,  too.  "To  fill  the  hour, — 
that  is  happiness,"  says  Emerson.  It  therefore 
matters  more  what  we  bring  to  the  hour's  occupa- 
tion than  what  the  particular  work  happens  to  be. 
A  man  is  happiest  when  doing  his  special  work, 
but  the  work  itself  never  wholly  determines  his 
state  of  mind.  The  work  goes  off  easily  and  is 
done  well,  or  it  lags,  according  to  the  conditions 
which  make  for  or  impair  human  efficiency. 


44  Human  Efficiency 

It  is  practically  impossible  to  state  this  ideal 
without  passing  over  from  the  prudential  realm 
into  the  moral  world.  It  is  a  matter  of  economy 
both  to  be  prudent  and  to  be  moral.  The  well- 
organised,  proficient  life,  whatever  the  calling, 
whatever  the  type  of  person,  is  the  basis  of  the 
moral  life  at  its  best.  To  be  wholly  moral  one 
must  be  efficient,  and  no  one  can  become  really 
efficient  without  being  moral.  Moral  productivity 
grows  out  of  efficiency  just  as  prudence  in  the  care 
of  the  organism  leads  out  of  the  life  of  the  single 
individual  into  the  life  of  duty.  The  transition 
is  also  seen  in  many  other  ways.  For  example, 
one  must  maintain  a  high  standard  yet  remember 
that  people  are  where  they  are;  one  must  observe 
special  conditions  in  order  to  attain  chosen  ends, 
taking  the  laws  of  evolution  into  full  account.  No 
one  can  formulate  and  undertake  to  carry  out  the 
ideal  of  efficiency  as  a  social  principle  without 
considering  the  rights  and  powers  of  the  other 
persons  with  whom  one  may  be  associated.  The 
conditions  that  foster  the  efficient  life  in  my  own 
case  are  likely  to  be  required,  allowing  for  varia- 
tions, by  others.  Hence  if  I  have  truly  found 
myself,  become  rightly  proficient,  I  am  likely  to 
understand  the  conditions  which  favour  efficiency 
in  general.  Thus  efficiency  becomes  the  corrective 
of  various  forms  of  negative  zeal.  When  efficiency 
becomes  moral  it  is  positive,  constructive,  and  it 


The  Basis  of  Efficiency  45 

may  assimilate  the  virtues  of  the  zealots  who  have 
tried  to  be  moral  before  becoming  efficient.  If 
I  know  my  powers  and  employ  them  effectively 
I  am  little  likely  to  goad  myself  to  insistent  per- 
formance, and  if  I  have  found  peace  in  my  own 
selfhood  I  shall  be  apt  to  inspire  it  in  others. 
Engaged  in  full  vigour  in  the  process  of  self-realisa- 
tion, I  shall  not  be  likely  to  spend  much  energy 
in  wrong  self-sacrifice.  These  questions  will  be 
considered  more  at  length  in  a  later  chapter. 

t 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  PSYCHOLOGICAL  POINT  OF  VIEW 

HAVING  regarded  the  nature  of  efficiency  in 
general,  we  now  turn  to  the  more  specific 
consideration  of  the  mental  conditions  and  powers 
which  foster  the  efficient  life.  We  shall  assume 
that  the  importance  of  physical  health  and  exer- 
cise is  recognised  as  a  basis,  and  also  that  the 
training  acquired  through  the  usual  sources  of 
education  is  a  necessary  element.  Every  one  has 
a  measure  of  acquaintance  with  the  physical, 
economic,  and  other  external  conditions  of  life. 
We  all  possess  in  some  degree  a  doctrine  or  creed 
which  pertains  to  the  life  within.  We  begin  to  fail 
at  the  point  where,  for  those  who  think  for  them- 
selves, the  transition  is  made  from  training  or 
education,  economic  creed  or  religion  in  general  to 
the  study  of  our  powers  as  mental  beings.  How- 
ever extensive  our  knowledge,  therefore,  it  is 
important  to  begin  by  direct  observation  the 
study  of  the  mental  activities  that  underlie  every 
undertaking. 

46 


The  Psychological  Point  of  View     47 

At  first  thought,  no  argument  would  appear 
to  be  needed  to  show  why  we  should  study  the 
human  mind.  It  was  long  ago  said  and  accepted 
that  "in  the  world  there  is. nothing  great  but  man, 
and  in  man  there  is  nothing  great  but  mind." 
Yet  the  average  man  has  made  little  advancement 
in  the  study  of  his  own  mind.  One  would  suppose 
that  as  all  accomplishments  are  partly  mental,  and 
since  man  is  nothing  if  not  practical,  the  utmost 
attention  would  be  given  to  the  study  of  the  mind 
with  a  view  to  increasing  its  efficiency.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  is  a  law  of  human  experience  that 
the  most  important  attainments  come  late  if  not 
last.  Moreover,  there  are  other  reasons  why  the 
study  of  the  mind  has  been  neglected,  as  we  shall 
presently  see. 

There  is  nothing  more  bewildering  to  the  aver- 
age reader  who  seeks  to  apply  what  he  reads  than 
to  pick  his  way  through  the  ordinary  psychology 
with  the  hope  of  learning  useful  principles.  The 
descriptions  of  mental  life  are  often  singularly 
lacking  in  reference  to  facts  as  the  plain  man 
knows  them.  When  science  lags  so  far  behind,  it 
is  not  strange  that  the  rest  of  the  world  is  ignorant. 
To  be  sure,  psychologists  have  begun  to  realise 
this  deficiency  and  are  seeking  to  overcome  it. 
Psychology  was  once  merely  speculative  and 
undertook  to  explain  mental  life  by  assuming  the 
existence  of  various  qualities  which  no  one  ever 


48  Human  Efficiency 

experienced,  and  the  existence  of  a  soul  divided 
into  independent  facilities  or  powers.  The  em- 
pirical psychology  of  to-day  is  an  attempt  to 
supply  the  deficiency  by  describing  mental  pro- 
cesses and  functions  in  experimentally  verifiable 
terms.  As  a  result  nearly  all  treatises  on  the 
human  mind  published  more  than  thirty  years 
ago  are  out  of  date,  and  are  now  merely  of 
historical  value. 

Yet  unless  one  already  possesses  a  clue  one 
would  be  sorely  puzzled  by  many  treatises  issued 
since  the  reign  of  physiological  psychology.  Psy- 
chology is  popularly  supposed  to  be  the  science 
of  the  soul,  yet  the  soul  is  now  seldom  mentioned, 
and  this  originally  speculative  science  has  become 
one  of  the  special  sciences,  with  its  own  laws, 
its  list  of  elements,  and  its  precise  methods  of  ob- 
servation. One  reads  about  quantity  and  quality, 
intensity  and  duration,  and  the  whole  aim  of  this 
science  when  structurally  regarded,  is  to  approxi- 
mate the  quantitative  standards  so  valuable  in 
other  fields.  Some  of  the  most  technically  precise 
works  seem  further  removed  from  the  mind,  as 
you  and  I  appear  to  know  it,  than  the  speculative 
psychology  of  old. 

If  we  start  with  popular  and  wholly  uncritical 
views  of  the  mind,  we  make  as  little  headway,  for 
ordinarily  no  line  of  distinction  is  drawn  between 
consciousness  and  the  physical  organism.  Some- 


The  Psychological  Point  of  View    49 

times  we  hear  people  speak  as  if  the  mind  controlled 
or  at  least  influenced  the  body,  but  more  frequently 
mental  life  is  vaguely  referred  to  as  if  it  were 
simply  awareness  of  what  is  taking  place  in  the 
body,  together  with  sensations  which  arise  from 
external  sources ;  for  instance,  sensations  of  warmth 
and  cold,  of  sound,  and  light.  As  if  in  confession 
that  this  is  a  faulty  view  we  hear  them  also  refer- 
ring to  the  mind  as  if  this  term  were  synonymous 
with  "intellect,"  and  had  nothing  to  do  with 
sensations  and  the  will.  Again,  they  refer  to  the 
will  in  connection  with  statements  about  charac- 
ter, and  a  lament  is  expressed  that  it  is  difficult 
to  arouse  this  "faculty"  into  successful  exercise. 
Instances  are  sometimes  cited  to  prove  that  the 
will  controls  the  organism,  but  the  problem  then 
is  to  reconcile  this  notion  with  the  other  one,  as 
often  quoted,  namely,  that  the  mind  is  a  prisoner 
in  the  brain,  dependent  on  processes  of  nutrition 
and  blood-supply.  We  scarcely  think  of  pain 
except  when  ill,  and  then  merely  because  our 
attention  is  drawn  to  a  certain  locality  within 
the  organism.  We  do  not  analyse  pleasure,  for 
we  are  eager  to  enjoy  it  while  it  lasts.  Our  emo- 
tions sweep  through  the  mind  so  rapidly  that  we 
know  little  about  them,  to  say  nothing  of  control- 
ling them.  Commonly  we  make  no  distinction 
between  sensations,  pleasures,  pains,  or  emotions, 
but  uncritically  class  them  all  as  "feelings." 


50  Human  Efficiency 

Hence  we  hear  people  say,  "I  feel,"  with  refer- 
ence to  every  experience  in  life,  even  when  it  is 
properly  a  question  of  inference,  argument,  and 
belief.  The  relationship  between  instinct,  desire, 
and  will,  is  no  less  vague.  The  popular  classifica- 
tion under  the  heads  of  feeling,  thought,  and  will, 
introduces  a  measure  of  order.  Yet  there  remain 
items  and  powers  which  cannot  be  grouped  under 
these  heads.  For  it  is  supposed  that  there  are 
higher  powers  known  as  conscience,  the  moral 
sense,  or  a  "God-sense,"  and  man  is  said  to  be 
"a  spirit"  with  reference  to  religious  experience 
and  the  possibility  of  survival  after  death.  One 
hears  much  about  deficiencies  in  powers  of  con- 
centration from  people  who  complain  that  they  are 
"unable  to  apply  "  their  minds,  as  if  the  mind  were 
somehow  different  from  the  self  that  endeavours 
to  use  it.  We  hear,  too,  about  "self -control," 
as  if  a  higher  self  could  grasp  and  control  a  lower. 
Finally,  the  possibility  that  we  have  a  hidden  or 
"subconscious  mind"  working  by  different  pro- 
cesses complicates  these  popular  ideas  beyond  hope. 
To  turn  from  this  wealth  of  popular  concep- 
tions to  a  psychological  doctrine  which  begins 
by  describing  the  life  of  the  organism  is  not  to 
deny  anything  real,  but  to  build  on  an  unassail- 
able foundation  with  the  acknowledgment  that 
we  are  born  in  entire  dependence  on  the  body. 
Although  this  psychology  has  not  yet  mounted 


The  Psychological  Point  of  View    51 

as  high  as  it  might,  it  gives  us  the  right  direction 
in  which  to  look  for  growth,  with  its  insistence  on 
the  fact  that  we  start  as  creatures  of  impulse, 
habit,  and  earthly  emotions,  beginning  as  children 
to  make  distinctions  in  mental  processes  which  at 
first  are  vaguely  apprehended  as  one.  That  is  to 
say,  we  acquire  interests  of  our  own,  and  learn  to 
exert  our  wills,  hence  take  an  active  part  in  mental 
evolution  amidst  states  and  tendencies  which  are 
intimately  related  with  the  brain.  To  begin  to 
think  clearly  about  the  mind  is  to  regard  it  as 
having  evolved,  as  now  evolving  side  by  side  with 
the  processes  that  constitute  the  life  of  the  bodily 
organism.  Thus  our  thought  is  introduced  to  the 
conception  that  the  individual  is  psychophysical. 
A  human  being  psychologically  regarded  is  a  being 
with  two  aspects,  one  mental,  the  other  physical, 
neither  one  of  which  can  be  accounted  for  apart 
from  the  other.  If  this  conception  of  the  mind 
appear  to  be  unfortunate,  if  unpleasant  in  view  of 
all  that  we  have  hoped,  at  any  rate  progress 
towards  a  higher  view  is  possible  only  by  begin- 
ning here. 

Moreover,  encouragement  is  found  in  the  fact 
that  there  is  room  for  divergence  of  opinion  even 
within  the  psychological  field.  There  are  psycho- 
logists who  start  with  a  theory  of  sensational 
elements,  and  undertake  to  build  the  structure  of 
mind  afresh  in  conceptual  language,  language  so 


52  Human  Efficiency 

remote  that  you  and  I  would  scarcely  recognise 
the  subject  under  consideration.  These  scholars 
usually  make  short  work  of  every  practical  belief, 
and  say  almost  nothing  about  subconsciousness. 
But  others,  following  the  lead  of  the  greatest 
descriptive  psychologist,  still  refer  to  "the  stream 
of  thought"  as  actually  experienced,  pointing  out 
that  the  mind  is  knowable  through  what  it  accom- 
plishes. x  Following  the  lead  of  the  latter,  we  may 
boldly  enter  the  lists,  with  as  good  right  to  arrive 
at  conclusions  as  those  whose  interests  are  purely 
theoretical.  Professor  James  is  often  quoted  in 
connection  with  many  popular  beliefs,  and  yet 
there  is  undoubtedly  no  surer  cure-all  for  every- 
thing that  savours  of  unsound  mental  doctrines 
than  the  great  two-volume  work  in  which  our 
master  psychologist  so  steadily  insists  upon  habit, 
on  association,  and  the  dependence  of  the  mind 
upon  the  brain. 

We  plunge,  then,  into  the  midst"  of  mental 
life  as  each  of  us  finds  it  by  closing  the  eyes  and 
giving  heed  to  the  stream  of  thought.  For  the 
time  being,  we  lay  aside  our  higher  interests  so  that 
we  may  become  more  familiar  with  the  actual  pro- 
cesses that  are  leading  us  from  moment  to  moment 
into  a  future  which  we  hope  in  part  to  regulate. 
We  need  not  for  the  present  employ  the  term 
"soul,"  or  even  consider  in  what  sense  all  phases 

1  See  James,  Psychology,  vol.  i.,  chapter  ix. 


The  Psychological  Point  of  View    53 

of  mental  life  may  be  said  to  belong  to  one  self. 
We  are  now  concerned  with  the  mind  as  actually 
made  known  through  experience,  swept  by  emo- 
tions, a  prisoner  of  ideas.  No  one  ever  feels  or 
beholds  the  self,  and  no  one  controls  the  self. 
What  we  truly  mean  by  the  self  only  careful  think- 
ing can  tell  us  after  we  have  considered  the  data 
out  of  which  man  rears  his  sentiments  and  thoughts 
into  a  comprehensive  idea  of  the  soul.  To  attain 
"self -control"  is  to  understand  and  direct  the 
psychophysical  energies  which  play  upon  the 
inner  centre.  It  is  solely  a  question  of  processes 
at  first,  the  processes  which  we  awaken  into,  and 
which  relate  us  to  the  far  past,  to  all  that  is  around 
us  here  and  now.  In  actual  process  of  evolution 
we  do  not  yet  apprehend  ourselves  as  unitary  souls, 
but  as  creatures  of  lower  and  higher  desires,  moods, 
emotions,  volitions,  and  ideas.  We  may  indeed 
will  to  be  consistent  selves  but  we  have  advanced 
very  far  in  knowledge  of  mental  life  if  we  have  so 
far  sounded  human  duality  as  to  know  in  ideal 
terms  what  it  means  to  be  self-consistent. r 

1  The  reader  who  is  unacquainted  with  psychological  de- 
scription will  find  a  very  readable  account  of  the  phases  of  mental 
life  here  briefly  referred  to  in  Professor  James's  Psychology, 
Briefer  Course;  New  York,  Henry  Holt  &  Co.  See  especially 
the  chapters  onHabit,  The  Will,  The  Stream  of  Thought.  Another 
excellent  volume  with  which  to  begin  the  study  is  Miss  Calkins's 
A  First  Book  in  Psychology;  New  York,  Macmillan  &  Co.,  1910. 
In  Professor  Royce's  Outline  of  Psychology,  introductory  chap- 


54  Human  Efficiency 

Nor  need  we  have  aught  to  do  with  the  old- 
time  notion  that  the  mind  is  divided  into  sections 
or  compartments,  not  even  in  the  case  of  con- 
science, or  what  we  call  "the  heart."  The  same 
mind  functions  in  all  phases  of  mental  life,  and 
what  we  mean  when  we  employ  such  terms  as 
"will"  or  "thought"  is  that  various  mental  phases 
are  uppermost  at  different  times  while  others  are 
more  or  less  quiescent.  It  is  a  study  of  processes 
not  of  faculties  that  is  about  to  engage  us.  By  a 
"process"  is  meant  a  change  from  point  to  point 
as  in  a  stream  in  which  there  is  constant  mutation 
due  to  varying  conditions  and  the  appearance 
of  different  activities.  Underlying  every  mental 
process  there  is  a  change  in  the  physical  portion 
of  the  organism.  Consciousness  is  acute  awareness 
of  the  events  that  are  taking  place  within  the  men- 
tal stream,  as  an  emotion  wells  to  the  surface,  as  a 
thought  flits  across,  as  a  volition  gives  new  meaning 
or  direction,  or  as  one  quietly  observes  the  play 
of  the  stream  in  general.  We  all  possess  this  mar- 
vellous stream,  we  may  all  observe,  reflect,  and 
learn.  That  is  the  uniqueness,  the  wonder  of  it  all. 
If  my  description,  made  common  property,  is 
verifiable  by  you  when  you  once  again  pause  to 
observe  and  reflect,  it  may  be  of  value.  But  the 

ters,  the  reader  is  introduced  to  a  type  of  psychological  descrip- 
tion which  makes  the  intimate  relationship  of  the  mind  to  the 
brain  very  clear, 


The  Psychological  Point  of  View    55 

real  mind  is  just  this  steady  play  and  interplay 
as  the  stream  sweeps  down  the  course  of  time. 
The  description  of  any  special  phase  such  as  will 
or  desire  is  merely  a  mode  of  reference,  not  the 
mind  itself.  When  we  bring  order  into  our  thought 
it  by  no  means  follows  that  order  has  been  attained 
in  the  given  stream.  The  stream  as  presented  is 
a  rich  mass  of  impressions  whose  wealth  is  so 
great,  whose  possibilities  so  multiform  that  we 
'can  scarcely  blame  those  who  have  tried  but  thus 
far  in  vain  to  do  justice  to  its  scope. 

The  stream  of  consciousness,  that  is,  the  passing 
sensations,  feelings,  emotions,  volitions,  and 
thoughts,  as  directly  perceived  is  psychical;  while 
psychology  is  the  science  which  undertakes  to 
describe  and  explain  the  processes  and  functions 
of  mind.  We  directly  apprehend,  for  example, 
sensations  of  warmth  and  of  colour,  and  the  psy- 
chical states  which  we  thus  become  aware  of  are 
the  real  objects  of  consciousness,  made  known  to 
each  in  his  own  mental  world.  In  off-hand  fashion 
we  say  that  we  "touch"  a  hot  stove  or  "see"  a 
red  book,  just  as  we  speak  of  the  sun  as  if  it  re- 
volved around  the  earth.  But  when  we  are  careful 
to  discriminate  between  the  facts  and  the  scientific 
description  of  them  we  admit  that  what  we  feel 
is  always  a  mental  process,  never  a  physical  thing. 
Physiology  describes  for  us  the  structure  of  the 
organism  and  explains  the  way  in  which  heated 


56  Human  Efficiency 

objects  affect  the  skin,  or  the  way  etheric  vibrations 
affect  the  rods  and  cones  of  the  eye  so  that  through 
the  optic  nerve  and  the  brain  certain  impressions 
are  conveyed  and  aroused,  in  correspondence  with 
which  we  have  perceptions  of  colour.  Psychology 
steps  in  at  this  point  and  endeavours  to  tell  what 
portions  of  our  experience  of  heat  or  colour  pertain 
to  the  things  outside,  what  to  the  mechanism  of 
the  body,  and  what  elements  are  mental.  Further- 
more, psychology  goes  back  as  far  as  possible, 
tracing  the  causes  and  conditions  which  make  it 
possible  for  us  to  perceive  heat  and  colour.  We 
do  not  of  course  experience  a  psychological 
state,  no  one  ever  felt  a  "psychological moment"; 
what  we  feel  is  the  perception  and  the  reaction 
which  a  stimulus  evokes,  that  is,  the  psychical 
moment. 

In  popular  speech  we  sometimes  refer  to  a  person 
as  a  psychic  or  "sensitive,"  meaning  one  who  has 
visions,  sees  spirits,  or  otherwise  apprehends  occult 
phenomena.  Such  references  imply  a  survival 
of  the  former  notion  that  there  are  special  faculties 
through  which  unusual  experiences  are  conveyed. 
They  also  involve  an  attempt  to  reckon  with  ab- 
normal experiences  before  we  have  thought  clearly 
about  the  normal.  In  contrast  with  this  view  I 
am  pointing  out  that  every  possible  mental  event 
as  actually  perceived  is  psychical,  hence  that 
every  one  is  psychical  and  sensitive.  To  be  sensi- 


The  Psychological  Point  of  View    57 

tive  is  to  be  capable  of  receiving  impressions  from 
whatever  source.  This  means  in  the  first  instance 
that  we  receive  impressions  through  the  five  well- 
known  senses,  and  the  other  senses  through  which 
we  feel  heat  and  cold,  experience  pressure-sensa- 
tions, and  the  like.  If  in  addition  there  are  less 
familiar  phenomena  apparently  involving  lucidity, 
telepathy,  and  participation  in  higher  levels  of  ac- 
tivity, these  occult  excitations  are  superimposed  on 
the  ordinary  levels  of  activity,  and  we  should  hardly 
expect  to  understand  the  less  known  apart  from 
the  well-known.  To  say  this  is  not  by  any  means 
to  make  light  of  higher  experiences  but  to  point 
out  that  we  can  hardly  interpret  such  experiences 
correctly  until  we  have  made  sure  of  the  facts  in 
question.  For  obviously  there  is  a  great  difference 
between  a  fact  or  psychical  impression,  and  a  prin- 
ciple brought  forward  to  account  for  the  fact  or 
impression.  It  is  well  known  that  the  so-called 
psychic  or  sensitive  is  usually  one  who  is  either  in 
ill-health  or  is  onesided  in  development.  It  would 
appear  reasonable,  then,  to  approach  the  study  of 
so-called  psychical  experiences  equipped  with  sure 
knowledge  of  normal  mental  life;  and  since  all 
mental  experiences  are  psychical  we  see  plainly 
that  we  are  concerned  with  problems  of  the  human 
mind  as  a  whole. 

To  be  normal,  let  us  say,  means  to  experience 
sensations  of  warmth  and  cold,  pangs  of  hunger, 


58  Human  Efficiency 

feelings  of  satisfaction,  desires  pertaining  to  phys- 
ical welfare  and  survival,  together  with  thoughts 
that  make  us  essentially  human  and  wish  to  be 
more  than  mere  animals.  To  have  sure  knowledge 
of  normal  processes  is  to  be  able  to  attribute  them 
in  some  measure  to  their  various  sources  so  that 
in  contrast  we  may  know  what  is  within  our  power 
and  what  ends  are  worth  while.  If,  for  example, 
I  am  hungry  after  a  forenoon's  work  with  saw  and 
axe  in  the  forest,  it  is  wholly  normal  that  there 
should  be  destruction  of  tissue,  hence  need  for 
food,  together  with  nature's  warning  made  known 
through  the  pangs  of  hunger.  The  sensation  of 
hunger  is  not  like  the  bodily  waste,  I  do  not  "feel" 
my  exhausted  tissues  or  my  empty  stomach ;  what 
I  perceive  is  an  increasing  desire  for  food,  well 
known  through  long  association.  All  this  is  part 
of  the  organism  whereby  nature  has  enabled  me  to 
survive.  Habits  long  ago  acquired  come  into  play 
and  prompt  me  to  secure  food,  I  take  thought  and 
bestir  myself  to  obtain  my  dinner.  When  my 
hunger  begins  to  be  appeased  the  pangs  of  desire 
subside,  and  my  thoughts  are  free  to  seek  other 
channels. 

To  say  that  my  patience,  my  thoughts,  in  fact 
my  whole  state  of  mind,  is  considerably  affected 
by  the  experience  of  hunger,  and  that  I  shall  be  a 
more  agreeable  person  after  my  dinner  is  well  under 
way,  is  simply  to  state  matters  of  common-sense. 


The  Psychological  Point  of  View    59 

The  customs  of  the  world  are  founded  on  adapta- 
tion to  the  psychophysical  individual,  and  ordin- 
arily we  pay  little  regard  to  the  act  that  the  moods 
of  people  vary  with  the  condition  of  their  stomachs. 
Assuming  that  we  must  first  give  both  our  friends 
and  our  enemies  something  attractive  to  eat 
before  we  try  to  accomplish  our  ends  with  them, 
we  quietly  do  this,  then  proceed  with  the  affairs 
,at  hand. 

Now  why  should  we  not  as  easily  apply  this 
acquaintance  with  human  nature  all  along  the 
line  even  to  the  highest  spiritual  state  that  ever 
inspired  a  prophet?  It  is  the  foundation  fact  about 
us,  and  we  may  as  well  acknowledge  it. 

I  do  not  say  that  a  man's  disposition  is  deter- 
mined by  the  food  he  eats,  or  that  the  state  of 
liver,  brain,  or  nerves  shows  what  kind  of  spiritual 
belief  he  will  adopt.  What  I  am  saying  is  that 
mind  and  body  move  along  together,  that  there  is 
minute  correspondence  between  them,  whatever 
else  must  be  said  about  the  probable  influence  of 
the  one  over  the  other.  There  are  bodily  processes 
that  lead  to  a  state  of  depletion,  and  other  processes 
that  bring  renewal  of  tissues.  These  and  all  other 
organic  and  allied  processes  go  on  relentlessly, 
whatever  else  takes  place.  If  we  would  alter  a 
physical  condition  with  reference  to  which  we  are 
aware  of  hunger,  we  must  do  something  physical. 
We  might  indeed  inhibit  the  sensation  of  hunger 


60  Human  Efficiency 

by  absorbing  our  consciousness  in  other  ends,  but 
this  would  not  in  the  least  degree  change  the  phys- 
ical situation.  Whatever  I  believe  or  think  about 
my  food  may  indeed  alter  my  state  of  mind,  so 
that  a  once  palatable  article  of  food  may  become 
distasteful,  but  this  change  is  mental  and  will 
remain  so  unless  I  change  my  physical  conduct 
by  partaking  of  another  kind  of  food.  The  quali- 
ties of  food  are  physical,  the  qualities  of  thought 
are  mental.  A  man's  dyspepsia  is  one  thing,  his 
mental  disposition  another.  Likewise  throughout 
life  there  is  an  endless  series  of  conditions  and 
events  by  which  we  are  environed,  such  as  climate, 
changes  in  the  weather,  effects  wrought  in  the 
physical  organism  by  liquids  and  solids,  by  orderly 
and  disorderly  functional  activities;  and  on  the 
other  hand  another  endless  series  of  responses, 
moods,  conflicts,  volitions,  temperamental  atti- 
tudes, and  thoughts. 

If  we  keep  close  to  the  earth,  noting  that  mind 
and  body  move  together,  we  ought  to  be  able  to 
proceed  from  the  known  to  the  unknown.  The 
psychophysical  individual  is  like  an  animal  in  the 
presence  of  a  given  environment,  and  you  will 
find  him  reacting  in  the  first  place  because  of 
instincts  which  arouse  in  him  a  desire  to  survive. 
To  be  well  adapted  for  survival  in  this  natural 
world  is  in  the  first  instance  to  be  normal,  and  the 
least  variation  from  the  standard  on  either  the 


The  Psychological  Point  of  View    61 

mental  or  the  physical  side  means  a  variation  on 
the  other  side.  Whatever  a  man  is  physically 
and  mentally  enters  into  whatever  he  does,  what- 
ever he  feels.  Hence  to  interpret  his  experiences 
you  must  take  into  account  all  that  he  is,  ignoring 
nothing  for  shame  or  for  any  other  reason.  The 
more  we  know  about  the  darkest  and  hardest 
facts  the  more  likely  are  we  to  be  in  a  position  to 
throw  light  on  the  highest.  Man  is  a  creature  of 
impulse,  habit,  and  emotion,  with  now  and  then 
a  thought,  occasionally  an  idea,  and  with  once  in  a 
while  evidences  that  he  is  a  character  possessing 
will  and  the  power  to  reason.  If  we  regard  him  as 
an  evolving  animal  in  the  first  instance,  we  are 
little  likely  to  fall  into  misconceptions  concerning 
him. 

The  process  of  thought  which  usually  takes 
place  in  the  average  mind  is  somewhat  like  this. 
An  idea  occurs,  suggested  by  a  preceding  idea  or 
experience,  and  this  idea  leads  to  another  by  an 
associative  process  resembling  the  groping  about 
from  tree  to  tree  of  an  explorer  in  a  forest.  Most 
people  think  as  they  read — from  one  word  to 
another,  from  sentence  to  sentence,  from  page  to 
page,  from  the  last  page  to  the  next  book,  with 
scarcely  a  pause  for  thought.  It  is  seldom  that 
such  a  mind  compels  ideas  to  come,  pushing  through 
first  impressions  to  sure  command  of  fact  and  valid 
inference.  Usually  our  thought  is  driven  forward 


62  Human  Efficiency 

in  a  never-ceasing  stream  of  impressions,  feelings, 
and  ideas.  A  cross-section  would  doubtless  reveal 
an  incongruous  assemblage. 

This  description  is  not  meant  to  be  disparaging. 
Some  of  the  best  results  develop  out  of  a  vague 
associative  process,  and  it  is  remarkable  what 
order  is  occasionally  called  from  chaos  by  an  absorb- 
ing idea.  If  we  consciously  followed  the  growth  of 
all  our  convictions  they  might  not  be  half  so 
genuine.  Even  the  best-trained  minds  seldom 
think  in  explicit  propositions,  inferences,  and  syllo- 
gisms with  no  premises  missing,  and  extremely 
few  have  ever  tried  to  do  this.  We  gain  insights 
and  yield  to  them,  make  bold  dashes  and  daring 
leaps,  leaving  the  gaps  to  be  filled  at  some  future 
time,  or  we  endeavour  to  make  them  good  by 
faith.  If  we  think  at  all  it  is  in  general  terms,  and 
ordinarily  we  are  content  if  an  idea  appears  to  be 
true  for  practical  purposes. 

While  we  are  indeed  prisoners  of  associative 
processes  swept  along  in  a  stream  of  feelings,  we 
also  carry  with  us  the  conviction  that  these  inco- 
herent processes  belong  together  and  constitute  a 
single  life.  Underneath  the  ever-changing  surface 
with  its  infinite  wealth,  there  is  surely  and  per- 
sistently a  current  making  in  one  general  direction. 
We  awaken  into  the  events  of  a  new  day  to  find 
this  vital  current  presenting  other  phases,  mayhap 
presenting  aspects  which  involve  actual  progress 


The  Psychological  Point  of  View     63 

on  our  part.  This  vital  current  has  flowed  un- 
ceasingly ever  since  the  first  moment  of  mental 
life,  ever  striving,  adapting  itself  to  new  situations, 
revealing  various  tendencies.  All  our  sensations, 
emotions,  desires,  feelings,  volitions,  and  thoughts 
are  related  to  this  vital  current.  In  so  far  as  we 
know  this  we  may  learn  what  it  means  to  be  an 
individual,  and  may  proceed  to  put  ideals  of 
cbnsistency  before  us.  To  know  it  and  how  to 
adapt  ourselves  to  it  is  to  begin  in  earnestness  to 
gain  inner  control,  to  know  the  self,  and  to  rise 
through  conflicting  phases  of  the  self  into  beings 
of  power. 

For  note  that  when  you  close  your  eyes  to  the 
external  world,  when  you  introspect  with  the 
important  discovery  that  mental  life  is  a  complex 
stream  involving  all  that  you  are,  you  have  totally 
departed  from  the  old-time  view  of  faculties  and 
powers.  When  you  regard  this  stream  with  re- 
ference to  its  relationship  with  the  outside  world 
you  find  it  yielding  a  series  of  impressions  of  light 
and  shade,  heat  and  cold,  of  colour,  sound,  weight, 
and  pressure,  of  odours,  and  so  on ;  and  this  is  sensa- 
tion, that  is,  perception.  When  you  give  special 
heed  to  one  of  these  perceptions,  such  as  a  sensa- 
tion of  warmth,  you  realise  that  the  field  of 
observation  has  narrowed,  and  here  you  have 
attention  in  exercise.  Now,  if  you  concentrate 
still  more  closely  you  inevitably  exclude  more  and 


64  Human  Efficiency 

more  from  your  acute  awareness  of  the  passing 
stream.  You  note  perhaps  that  the  perception 
of  warmth  has  increased  so  that  you  call  it  "heat, " 
find  it  hot,  hence  painful.  Here  you  have  ' '  feeling' ' 
in  the  technical  sense,  the  feeling  of  pain  associated 
with  the  sensational  process.  Disliking  the  pain, 
you  are  aware  that  a  reactive  process  prompted  by 
desire  has  sprung  up  within  the  stream.  Taking 
thought,  you  decide  to  move  your  organism  away 
from  the  heated  surface  in  contact  with  the  skin, 
and  you  accordingly  make  the  requisite  effort, 
forthwith  experiencing  the  desired  result.  In  this 
process,  we  have  "thought"  in  exercise,  "desire" 
eventuating  in  choice  or  selection,  "will"  not  only 
in  the  sense  of  selective  attention  but  in  the  more 
active  sense  of  "effort."  All  this  is  still  within 
the  same  stream.  While  you  are  attending  to  the 
process  of  perception,  other  phases  of  the  stream 
of  activity  are  less  prominently  in  your  conscious- 
ness, although  still  present.  To  attend  is  also  to 
will,  but  when  you  make  effort  to  withdraw  the 
organism  from  the  heated  object  the  will  is  seen  in 
more  active  form.  You  are  all  the  while  observing, 
and  to  observe  is  to  think,  but  if  you  turn  from  the 
sensational  process  as  perceived  to  an  analysis  of 
it,  the  empirical  element  subsides,  and  you  draw 
more  and  more  on  your  knowledge  of  principles. 
Thus  process  after  process  is  brought  to  the 
surface  and  analysed,  function  after  function 


The  Psychological  Point  of  View     65 

is  revealed.  The  elements  of  consciousness  in 
various  combinations  constitute  the  processes,  and 
the  functions  are  the  several  ends  for  which  the 
mind  exists.  What  we  mean  by  the  "self"  is  a 
conceptual  interpretation  of  these  processes  and 
functions  with  reference  to  character,  the  meanings 
and  purposes  which  we  identify  with  the  being  we 
will  to  become.  The  stream  is  a  vital  one  making 
tqwards  ends,  the  self  we  also  ideally  construct  in 
terms  of  life,  as  a  being  who  pursues  ends.  Our 
first  need  is  to  know  whence  our  being  comes,  as 
this  living  process  goes  on,  with  its  incentives  of 
instinct,  impulse,  and  desire;  our  second  is  to  re- 
state the  life  we  thus  discover  in  the  higher  forms 
of  idea  and  will,  character  and  purpose. 

One  of  the  most  important  features  of  this 
discovery  of  the  stream  of  consciousness  is  the 
fact  that  the  current  or  activity  is  central,  while 
thought  although  a  part  of  the  stream  is  a  later 
development  and  is  not  fundamental  unless  made 
so  through  persistent  processes  of  education  or 
reflection.  I  emphasise  this  fact  because  it  is 
wholly  contrary  to  the  theoretical  view  of  the 
human  mind  which  once  prevailed,  absolutely 
in  conflict  with  any  number  of  modern  beliefs  in 
regard  to  the  power  of  suggestion. 

Let  us  return  to  the  references  to  the  normally 
hungry  man.  We  found  him  taking  thought 
because  of  the  appearance  of  pangs  of  hunger  in 


66  Human  Efficiency 

his  stream  of  consciousness.  Thought,  finding 
its  data  supplied,  is  essentially  a  process  of  exam- 
ining the  facts  of  experience  in  order  to  learn  from 
them  and  see  what  to  do.  Thought  enables  us  to 
analyse,  to  adapt  our  conduct  to  the  presenta- 
tions of  experience.  It  is  not  at  first  an  initiating 
or  originating  power.  Even  when  it  later  arrives 
at  new  conclusions,  this  arrival  is  due  to  the  con- 
tributions of  experience  at  the  beginning  and  all 
along  the  way.  To  become  aware  of  hunger  is 
one  fact,  to  reflect  upon  it  is  another;  for  one 
might  become  quiet  enough  to  inhibit  a  rising 
tide  of  impatience,  one  might  become  so  absorbed 
in  conversation  with  a  friend  as  to  forget  to  eat, 
and  so  on.  You  can  think  of  a  thousand  alter- 
natives in  contrast  with  the  one  which  you  proceed 
to  act  upon.  Thought  is  infinitely  rich.  This  is  at 
once  our  joy  and  our  sorrow,  for  while  it  supplies 
endless  channels  of  interest  to  keep  us  from  ennui 
it  also  reveals  so  many  side-issues  of  theory  that 
we  become  creatures  of  dogma,  creed,  and 
doctrinal  disputation. 

Emerson  reminds  us  that  "the  step  from  know- 
ing to  doing  is  rarely  taken, "  and  we  well  know  the 
difference  between  good  intentions  and  the  per- 
sistent effort  which  overcomes  inertia  and  succeeds. 
Plainly  the  experience  of  effort  is  more  intimately 
connected  with  the  flesh,  with  our  lassitude  and 
laziness,  than  with  our  good  resolutions;  for  when 


The  Psychological  Point  of  View     67 

we  settle  down  to  continuous  effort  we  are  able 
to  break  new  channels  through  and  establish 
habits,  whereas  our  thoughts,  however  good,  may 
pass  by  like  the  idle  wind.  When  we  make  down- 
right effort  we  are  made  painfully  aware  that  we 
are  still  psychophysical  individuals,  not  intellec- 
tual creatures  in  a  fanciful  region  where  to  think  is 
to  be. 

t  Now,  thought  has  its  power  and  it  is  not  to  be 
underestimated.  Some  day  we  hope  to  be  reason- 
ing creatures,  carefully  reflecting  before  we  act, 
and  we  hope  to  overcome  any  number  of  adverse 
conditions.  But  plainly  we  must  first  learn  what 
forces  will  change  the  conditions.  Knowledge  is 
power  in  the  sense  that  it  shows  us  where  to  begin. 
But  the  question  remains,  How  shall  we  overcome 
the  inertia  and  what  is  it  in  us  that  enables  us  to 
conquer?  We  do  indeed  tend  to  act  upon  the 
conclusions  at  which  we  arrive,  but  let  us  not 
overlook  the  fact  that  most  of  us  are  in  the  groping 
process  of  arriving  at  conclusions.  We  see  as  in  a 
glass  darkly.  If  we  saw  face  to  face  we  should  no 
doubt  act  at  once  and  achieve  at  once.  But 
taking  ourselves  as  we  are  we  must  admit  the 
radical  difference  between  theory  and  practice. 

A  thought  becomes  effective  only  in  case  it 
engage  attention  sufficiently  to  become  an  end 
of  action  for  the  will,  or  for  some  instinctive 
action  permitted  to  rule  the  stream  of  conscious- 


68  Human  Efficiency 

ness.  The  hint  or  suggestion  which  takes  effect 
in  one  mind  will  have  no  influence  whatever  on 
another,  since  the  decisive  power  rests  not  with 
the  thought  but  with  will  or  character.  If  I  pass 
by  a  liquor-saloon  when  some  one  invites  me  to 
step  within  and  take  a  drink  it  is  because  there  is 
no  point  of  connection  between  that  suggestion 
and  my  character.  Other  suggestions  have  points 
of  contact  but  I  do  not  accept  them.  Others  I 
yield  to  because  I  am  weak,  while  still  others 
engage  my  attention  because  they  appear  to  be  of 
value.  It  is  not  creditable  that  suggestion  has 
power  over  us.  There  is  no  particular  reason  for 
seeking  to  cultivate  responsiveness  to  suggestion. 
Sad  indeed  is  it  if  we  need  to  be  hypnotised  to  gain 
a  little  good  sense.  Ideally  at  least  we  are  supposed 
to  be  a  law  unto  ourselves.  That  is  creditable 
to  me  into  which  I  put  myself. 

The  function  of  thought  is  seen  at  its  best  in 
the  processes  of  scientific  inquiry  through  which 
we  progressively  understand  human  life.  Such 
reflection  shows  us  that  life  is  essentially  a  process 
of  law  and  order,  that  is,  that  we  are  all  under 
conditions  which  we  did  not  impose.  Psychology 
makes  known  the  same  system  with  respect  to  the 
inner  life.  All  that  we  have  undertaken  in  the 
foregoing  is  to  indicate  some  of  the  conditions  and 
state  some  of  the  laws  actually  found  in  the  complex 
process  which  we  have  called  "a  stream."  These 


The  Psychological  Point  of  View     69 

conditions,  laws,  and  processes  are  given  to  us, 
they  are  the  same  for  all,  and  this  universality 
is  of  more  consequence  than  anything  particular 
or  private.  It  is  this  universality  which  reason 
reveals,  while  the  tendency  of  other  functions 
of  our  nature  is  more  personal,  particular.  Hence 
it  is  through  reason  at  last  that  we  begin  to  see 
the  way  out  of  our  subserviency  into  freedom 
through  wise  adaptation. 

Two  main  points  we  have  tried  to  make  clear, 
first,  that  the  mental  stream  is  the  psychical 
half  of  a  process  of  life.  The  other  half  is  found 
in  the  brain  and  nervous  system,  together  with 
the  organic  and  functional  life  attached  thereto. 
Every  mental  change  is  accompanied  by  some  sort 
of  cerebral  and  nervous  change  pertaining  to  the 
life  of  the  body,  although  the  physical  process  or 
event  may  not  be  at  all  like  the  mental  event  with 
which  it  is  associated.  The  second  point  is  that  the 
psychical  stream  is  the  richly  complex  process 
which  contains  all  that  was  formerly  attributed 
to  feeling,  thought,  will,  emotion,  pleasure  and 
pain,  conscience,  intuition,  and  the  like.  It  is 
now  a  question  of  processes  and  functions,  no 
longer  of  faculties  and  separate  powers.  If  we 
know  how  these  mental  processes  normally  take 
place  we  should  be  able  to  make  allowances  for 
deflections  from  the  general  tendency  towards 
rationality.  This  means  the  discovery  of  psychical 


7o  Human  Efficiency 

facts  as  actually  presented,  and  if  we  know  the 
facts  we  shall  be  able  to  make  short  work  of  the 
inferences.  Indeed,  we  now  know  what  a  fact  is, 
it  is  an  impression  produced  on  the  sensitive  surface 
of  the  passing  stream  of  consciousness.  From  the 
fact,  if  we  really  analyse  it  correctly,  we  should 
be  able  to  infer  what  its  physical  basis  is,  say 
a  hot  stove,  or  a  red  book.  Into  the  impression 
there  inevitably  enters  the  mentality  which  we 
contribute  to  it,  so  that  a  sensation  becomes  a 
perception.  From  the  discovery  that  every  fact 
is  a  co-operative  result  of  the  sort  just  now  indi- 
cated, we  may  infer  that  our  participation  in  its 
production  is  likely  to  be  affected  by  the  entire 
condition  of  the  physical  organism  at  the  time. 
Hence  we  repeat  with  new  meaning  the  well- 
known  saying  that  "a  sound  mind  in  a  sound 
body"  is  one  of  the  surest  tests. 


CHAPTER  IV 

MENTAL  CO-ORDINATION 

IT  is  related  of  an  inventor  who  had  nearly  per- 
fected a  new  machine  that,  in  order  to  add  the 
one  part  necessary  to  complete  his  machine,  he 
shut  himself  in  his  room  for  twenty-four  hours  and 
steadily  concentrated  upon  his  invention  until 
he  had  discovered  the  missing  factor.  He  had 
previously  worked  out  the  conception  of  the  ma- 
chine in  entirety,  but  a  certain  part  had  slipped 
from  his  memory,  and  it  was  this  on  which  he 
concentrated  for  twenty-four  hours  until  he 
recovered  it.  A  similar  incident  in  the  life  of  a 
great  thinker  also  illustrates  the  marvellous  power 
of  concentration  possessed  by  the  human  mind. 
Socrates  is  reported  to  have  stood  for  twenty-four 
consecutive  hours  absorbed  in  thought.  Undoubt- 
edly by  thus  giving  his  mind  resolutely  to  a  single 
line  of  reflection  until  he  reached  the  end,  Socrates 
either  supplied  a  missing  factor  in  an  argument  or 
gained  fundamental  insight  into  a  moral  principle 
never  before  clear.  Few  of  us  know  by  actual 
experience  what  can  be  accomplished  by  steadily 

71 


72  Human  Efficiency 

applying  the  mind  in  a  direction  fraught  with 
interest.  To  some  of  us  success  comes  too  easily, 
hence  we  never  learn  what  can  be  accomplished 
by  resolute  concentration. 

Efficient  concentration  always  involves  the 
active  and  steady  pursuit  of  an  idea,  or  group  of 
ideas,  in  which  one  takes  special  interest.  Some 
have  supposed  it  to  involve  a  relaxation  or  open- 
ness of  mind  in  which  the  mind  merely  dwells  on  a 
goal,  as  in  the  case  of  meditation  practised  in 
accordance  with  spiritual  interests.  Doubtless 
there  should  be  intervals  in  which  the  attention 
is  permitted  to  turn  for  a  time  to  other  interests, 
that  the  mind  may  have  opportunity  to  work  by 
less  active  processes,  merely  brooding  over  the 
subject  of  chief  interest.  Concentration  is  not 
attained  by  a  single  act  of  will  in  which  thought 
becomes  active  in  a  given  direction  as  if  mechani- 
cally established  there,  but  through  repeated  acts 
of  attention.  Nevertheless,  concentration  pro- 
ceeds at  its  best  through  consecutive  thinking,  in 
contrast  with  a  mere  dwelling  upon  the  chosen 
interest.  Most  of  us  are  well  aware  what  vagueness 
is,  what  it  means  to  let  go,  or  emotionally  to  con- 
template; what  we  need  to  discover  is  the  nature 
and  value  of  downright  thought  in  which  the  mind 
gathers  to  itself  all  its  powers  in  response  to  an 
interest  which  fills  the  horizon. 

Persistent    concentration    is   effective    in   two 


Mental  Co-ordination  73 

respects.  It  enables  us  to  follow  a  given  clue  until 
the  main  point  is  gained,  or  to  pay  attention  to  a 
single  object  until  we  have  discovered  every  detail 
which  sustained  attention  can  find.  The  latter 
process  is  well  illustrated  by  an  incident  related 
of  a  student  who  began  the  more  thorough  work 
of  his  life  under  the  guidance  of  Agassiz.  This 
student  was  given  the  head  of  a  fish  and  told  to 
iteport  what  he  had  discovered  by  looking  at  it. 
After  a  time  he  returned  with  a  description  which 
the  great  scientist  characterised  as  a  fair  beginning. 
Sent  back  to  his  task  again,  the  student  believed 
he  had  discerned  every  detail  that  could  be  seen, 
but  was  merely  told  that  he  had  noted  a  few  more 
points.  A  third  and  fourth  period  of  observation 
ensued,  at  the  end  of  which  Agassiz's  comment  was 
that  most  of  the  important  details  had  now  been 
noted,  hence  that  there  was  a  basis  for  real  know- 
ledge of  the  fish's  head.  The  incident  suggests 
that  trained  powers  of  attention  are  essentials 
without  which  we  can  scarcely  know  a  thing  at  all. 
It  is  the  province  of  the  specialist  in  any  field  to 
see  a  thousand  and  one  details  which  the  rest  of 
us  overlook.  The  beginning  is  found  in  minute 
knowledge  of  one  thing. 

The  acquisition  of  power  sufficient  to  attain 
such  knowledge  is  often  taken  to  be  a  merely  intel- 
lectual matter.  In  the  present  investigation  we 
shall  see  more  and  more  clearly  that  control  is 


74  Human  Efficiency 

partly  a  question  of  the  organisation  and  wise  use 
of  energy,  and  hence  of  mastery  of  the  brain. 
Co-ordination,  in  other  words,  is  psychophysical. 
That  man  has  great  powers  of  concentration  who 
also  has  great  command  over  his  body.  Desire 
to  excel,  absorbing  interest  in  a  given  pursuit  is 
likely  to  give  us  sufficient  incentive  to  train  our 
intellectual  powers  so  that  we  may  concentrate 
in  earnest.  What  we  are  most  likely  to  neglect 
is  the  physical  basis  which  enables  us  to  regulate 
and  use  our  nervous  forces  to  advantage.  Again, 
we  fail  to  analyse  the  influences,  conditions,  and 
tendencies  most  likely  to  interfere  with  the  effort 
to  gain  central  control.  Before  we  consider  the 
larger  question  of  the  control  of  nervous  energy,  it 
is  well  to  turn  to  this  the  subtler  side  of  the  ques- 
tion, the  regulation  of  the  mental  activities  which 
offer  interference,  when  we  seek  to  realise  ideals. 

It  is  the  nature  of  consciousness,  we  have  seen, 
to  be  efficacious,  to  pursue  ends,  selecting  them 
according  to  the  prevailing  interests  of  the  indi- 
vidual. Thus  sensation  is  accompanied  by  instincts 
that  lead  us  to  preserve  ourselves,  even  to  fight  if 
need  be.  Our  ideas  tend  to  express  themselves  in 
action,  and  some  of  these  always  pertain  in  the 
normal  man  to  his  physical  welfare  and  to  the 
imperative  conditions  of  natural  life.  The  will 
in  turn  is  the  mind  in  executive  exercise,  marshal- 
ling, determining,  pushing  through.  Again, 


Mental  Co-ordination  75 

conscience  is  the  mind  judging  in  accordance  with 
a  standard  that  tends  to  insure  the  triumph  of 
the  right.  Religion,  if  devoutly  believed  in,  sup- 
plies still  another  incentive  which  leads  the  mind 
to  pursue  ends.  The  whole  mental  life  may  be 
summarised  in  terms  of  the  strivings  which  tend 
to  preserve  the  individual,  to  bring  practical 
success,  further  the  accepted  social  interest, 
provide  for  free  self-expression  and  development, 
and  lead  the  way  to  moral  self-realisation. 

But  if  our  preferences  constituted  the  only 
efficacious  factors  of  mental  life,  the  history  of 
success  would  be  brief  indeed.  The  most  important 
consideration  is  found  in  the  fact  that  precisely 
because  the  mind  is  selective  and  tends  to  realise 
a  purpose  it  also  rejects  right  and  left,  inhibits, 
and  endeavours  to  eliminate.  Unless  we  restrain 
and  inhibit  we  make  no  headway  at  all.  But  to 
restrain  means  to  deal  with  the  energy  thus  checked 
and  to  inhibit  means  to  be  prepared  to  fight. 
Hence  one  needs  to  know  as  much  as  possible 
about  the  conflicting  forces  that  endeavour  to 
defeat  all  our  efforts  to  attain  system,  order,  and 
control.  For  increased  efficiency  means  more 
effort  to  master  and  govern  the  activities  of  mind 
and  body  whose  energies  must  be  transmuted  if 
co-ordination  shall  become  a  habit. 

A  definite  clue  is  found  in  the  description  of 
mental  life  given  in  the  preceding  chapter.  There 


76  Human  Efficiency 

is  a  vital  current  running  through  the  stream  of 
thought.  Whenever  we  look  within  to  note  what  is 
taking  place  we  find  ourselves  paying  attention, 
noting  likenesses  and  differences,  associating  one 
object  with  another,  and  selecting  desires,  emo- 
tions, or  ideas  amidst  a  mass  of  feelings  directly 
presented  to  us.  We  did  not  start  life  with  "will" 
as  we  now  know  it.  The  beginnings  of  this  vital 
current,  with  its  strivings,  are  found  far  back  in  the 
stirrings  of  instinct,  the  conflict  of  impulses  and 
emotions  in  which  hereditary  traits  emerge.  Later 
a  mental  disposition  appears,  and  we  gradually 
discover  the  self.  We  find  ourselves  reaching  out 
to  attain  even  before  we  know  what  we  want.  We 
find  physical  desires  involving  interest  in  all  that 
pertains  to  the  appetites  and  leading  forward  to 
the  life  of  struggle,  perhaps  in  later  life  to  love  of 
warfare  not  merely  with  the  gun  but  in  the  realm 
of  trade,  or  the  field  of  controversy.  Again,  the 
desire  to  drink  may  appear,  and  any  number  of 
conflicting  or  subsidiary  desires.  Some  of  these 
may  coincide  with  character,  others  may  evoke 
little  opposition.  But  the  main  point  is  that 
consciousness  in  the  efficacious  sense  understood 
when  we  use  the  term  "will,"  with  its  determina- 
tion to  master,  eliminate,  and  to  marshall,  is  an 
efficaciousness  that  supervenes  upon  this  vital 
current  or  complex  life  of  the  desires.  This  point 
is  often  overlooked,  because  of  the  tradition  that 


Mental  Co-ordination  77 

character  is  ready-made,  that  the  will  is  elemental, 
and  only  need  be  aroused  or  asserted. 

To  awaken  into  self-consciousness  with  a  will 
to  attain  a  certain  end  is  to  find  our  mental  life 
already  replete  with  memory-images  and  associa- 
tions which,  in  connection  with  our  habits,  pas- 
sions, and  instincts,  tend  to  determine  what  manner 
of  man  we  shall  be.  Since  so  much  depends  upon 
reftentiveness  and  association,  it  is  plain  that  to 
make  headway  we  must  adopt  the  same  principles 
by  which  this  bundle  of  habits,  instincts,  and 
desires,  which  we  call  the  self  has  come  to  be  what 
it  is.  For,  as  we  shall  see  more  clearly  in  a  sub- 
sequent chapter,  the  will  is  not  an  independent 
power  which  can  break  in  anywhere,  but  it  begins 
its  efforts  simply  by  paying  attention.  Hence 
no  small  part  of  the  mastery  of  our  conflicting 
desires  consists  in  the  art  of  observing  them  in 
detail  to  note  their  tendencies,  as  we  might  observe 
the  manoeuvres  of  an  enemy. 

"I  will  study  and  prepare  myself  and  then, 
some  day,  my  chance  will  come,"  said  Lincoln. 
The  same  law  of  success  holds  in  the  inner  world. 
We  keep  ideals  in  mind,  move  along  steadily  from 
day  to  day,  and  in  due  course  see  where  to  strike 
in  with  victorious  activity.  When  we  discover 
that  the  stomach  is  surfeited,  the  organism  over- 
taxed, the  nervous  system  tense  or  exhausted,  we 
know  that  it  is  necessary  to  observe  certain  con- 


78  Human  Efficiency 

ditions  in  order  to  regain  a  normal  state.  The 
extension  of  the  same  rational  method  shows  that 
we  must  allow  time  for  mental  adjustment  and 
assimilation.  The  stronger  the  instincts,  habits, 
and  passions,  the  more  far-reaching  must  be  the 
method  of  development  by  which  we  bring  the 
ideal  into  power.  The  important  point  is  that 
when  the  balance  is  established  in  favour  of  the 
ideal  through  intellectual  co-ordination  we  have 
power  to  conquer  desires  which  might  otherwise 
appear  insuperable. 

It  is  plain  that  there  are  more  desires  active 
within  us  than  can  possibly  attain  fruition  in  a 
life-time.  We  cannot  fall  back  on  the  traditional 
belief  that  some  of  these  are  too  strong,  hence  we 
must  sacrifice  our  ideals.  We  refuse  to  enslave 
the  so-called  weaker  sex  in  behalf  of  our  physical 
necessities.  Mere  gratification  is  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. Nor  can  we  with  the  Buddhist  "kill  out 
desire,"  since  the  very  effort  to  do  this  implies  a 
desire  which  shall  be  strong  enough  to  conquer 
the  others.  The  only  way  for  a  true  man  is  to 
face  his  desires,  know  them,  enlist  their  energies, 
and  press  on.  Hence  the  importance  of  knowing 
that  the  will  is  essentially  a  later  power  arriving 
on  the  field  of  action  in  time  to  take  a  hand.  As 
slight  as  our  power  of  inhibition  may  be,  it  can 
take  advantage  of  every  bit  of  wisdom  which  ex- 
perience may  reveal. 


Mental  Co-ordination  79 

The  first  characteristic  of  desire  is  its  restless- 
ness or  striving,  its  insistent  demand  for  expression, 
with  its  subtle  endeavour  to  occupy  the  entire 
field  of  consciousness.  The  second  is  its  tendency 
to  run  on  into  infinity,  its  insatiability.  A  desire 
is  an  indefinite  potentiality  essentially  unstable, 
imperative,  tending  to  enslave.  A  desire  is  never 
curbed  unless  from  another  source,  although  it 
may  indeed  in  a  measure  be  checked  by  another 
desire  on  its  own  level.  Hence  the  man  who  knows 
his  desires  may  proceed  to  outwit  some  of  them 
by  giving  freedom  to  others  to  hold  the  field.  It 
thus  becomes  a  question  of  survival  of  the  strongest. 
Or,  a  man  will  maintain  his  physical  organism  in 
prime  condition  through  physical  exercise,  regu- 
larity in  sleeping,  eating,  and  bathing,  that  the 
whole  life  of  desire  may  be  elevated  to  a  purer 
level.  This  gives  him  an  opportunity  to  moderate 
his  desires  at  closer  range. 

A  more  direct  way  to  outwit  our  desires  is  found, 
however,  when  we  realise  that  we  may  regard  them 
not  merely  in  the  light  of  the  instincts,  wants,  and 
appetites  amidst  which  they  are  found  emerging, 
but  from  the  view-point  of  what  they  lead  to. 
A  creative  desire  may  be  extremely  general,  but  if 
directed  into  a  productive  channel  so  that  its 
possessor  begins  to  invent  machinery,  compose 
music,  develop  an  executive  plan  of  some  sort, 
the  desire  may  then  be  regarded  as  an  ideal.  To 


8o  Human  Efficiency 

discover  a  field  of  interest  is  forthwith  to  concen- 
trate in  that  direction,  hence  to  become  absorbed 
in  the  ideal  in  such  a  way  that  it  becomes  a  stand- 
ard possessing  inhibitory  power.  The  man  who 
wills  to  give  play  to  his  inventive  genius  also 
realises  that  this  means  giving  up  many  activities 
in  which  he  might  otherwise  engage.  Naturally 
he  clings  to  those  desires  which  tend  to  further  his 
work,  welding  them  into  a  whole.  He  must  keep 
his  body,  especially  his  brain,  in  good  condition, 
for  otherwise  the  mental  life  will  be  impeded. 
Hence  to  the  degree  that  love  of  work  fills  his 
soul  he  eliminates  the  desires  that  lead  to  excess, 
endeavouring  to  express  their  immoderate  energy 
in  the  ideal  direction.  His  purpose  is  thereby 
strengthened  so  that  it  works  automatically,  as  it 
were,  and  almost  without  thought  he  refrains  from 
indulgences  and  side-issues,  pleasures  and  types 
of  recreation  that  tend  to  defeat  his  purpose.  For 
when  the  will-to-conquer  is  the  prevailing  interest, 
the  imagination,  then  the  emotions,  and  the  whole 
conscious  life  are  brought  into  play.  The  balance 
of  power  is  with  the  upward  tendency,  character 
strengthens  itself  by  the  powers  of  the  ideal,  which 
in  turn  lifts  the  conduct  into  greater  consistency 
and  strength. 

The  same  principle  is  seen  in  the  case  of  a  person 
of  artistic  temperament,  with  all  that  this  tempera- 
ment involves.  If  gifted  with  an  unusual  voice, 


Mental  Co-ordination  81 

for  example,  the  ideal  of  devotion  to  music  becomes 
the  prevailing  motive;  and  all  desires  and  emotions 
are  valued  according  as  they  tend  or  do  not  tend 
to  keep  the  singer  in  prime  condition.  The  desires 
are  estimated  by  what  they  lead  to,  and  those  that 
are  favourable  are  brought  together.  This  co- 
ordination gives  the  strength  to  resist  temptation, 
for  instance,  the  temptation  to  over-eat  or  to 
indulge  in  kinds  of  food  and  other  things  that 
interfere  with  bodily  welfare.  Everything  depends 
upon  the  power  of  the  standard,  supported  by  the 
personality  of  the  artist. 

When  we  turn  from  the  desires  to  the  emotions 
we  find  a  somewhat  different  state  of  affairs.  De- 
sires, we  have  seen,  arise  amidst  the  instincts  and 
appetites,  and  are  best  understood  by  what  they 
lead  to.  Hence  the  secret  of  their  control  lies  in 
the  acceptance  of  an  incentive  sufficient  to  afford 
an  inhibitory  standard.  But  an  emotion  is  an 
experience  that  plays  round  or  accompanies  other 
mental  states,  adding  to  or  detracting  from  them. 
When  my  desire  for  a  thing  becomes  so  intense, 
for  example,  that  I  become  angry  with  people 
who  interfere,  or  enthusiastic  over  my  pros- 
pects, I  have  an  emotion  in  regard  to  it.  No 
one  can  help  having  desires,  but  it  is  possible 
to  be  largely  devoid  of  emotions.  The  desires 
must  be  developed,  organised,  or  conquered 
by  drawing  their  life  elsewhere;  while  many 


82  Human  Efficiency 

of  the  emotions  may  be  eliminated  altogether 
by  cultivating  poise,  calmness,  and  inner  control. 
An  emotion  is  essentially  my  personal  feeling 
with  respect  to  a  thing,  my  most  intimate  reaction, 
and  if  I  develop  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  less 
personal,  with  fewer  prejudices,  less  ignorance,  I 
am  likely  to  be  less  emotional.  That  is  to  say, 
the  emotional  life  decreases  with  the  growth  of 
intellectual  power,  although  a  refining  life  of  noble 
sentiments  and  affections  may  take  its  place,  just 
as  the  longing  to  serve  may  take  the  place  of  selfish 
desires. 

The  emotions  vary  from  the  level  of  merely 
sensuous  attraction  up  to  the  plane  of  the  highest 
sentiment  or  affection  that  inspires  the  consecrated 
soul.  Like  the  desires,  the  initial  characteristic  of 
the  emotions  is  that  they  never  know  when  to  stop. 
Hence  everything  depends  upon  the  possession 
of  a  standard  by  which  to  discriminate.  If  a  man 
is  selfish  nothing  in  him  is  so  selfish  as  his  emotions. 
Likewise  a  woman  when  intensely  selfish  is  emo- 
tionally outreaching,  grasping.  On  the  other 
hand,  when  unselfish  nothing  in  a  person  is  so 
outgoing,  expressive,  and  noble  as  the  emotional 
life.  It  is  not  then  so  much  a  question  of  the 
purpose  of  life  as  of  the  quality  of  the  person  in 
various  stages  of  development. 

If  desires  wear  and  tear  us,  the  emotions  work 
still  more  havoc.  In  a  single  hour  an  emotion  of 


Mental  Co-ordination  83 

anger,  jealousy,  or  hatred  may  exhaust  the  ener- 
gies that  should  have  sufficed  for  a  day.  Not  very 
much  wisdom  is  required  to  show  that  in  the  life 
which  is  to  become  progressively  efficient  most  of 
the  emotions  must  be  eliminated.  For  the  moment 
we  may  confine  our  inquiry  to  those  that  obviously 
are  worth  while.  Enthusiasm  is  of  course  eligible, 
since  if  distributed,  along  the  line  of  the  days, 
weeks,  and  years,  it  keeps  the  mind  alive  and  spon- 
taneous. Loyalty  for  a  public  cause,  for  an  institu- 
tion, for  an  ideal,  includes  enthusiasm  and  surpasses 
it.  Love,  in  turn,  when  directed  towards  the  ideal 
and  inclusive  of  people  as  well  as  of  purposes,  sur. 
passes  even  loyalty  itself.  Thus  in  terms  of  love, 
well  understood  and  related  with  all  that  is  most 
worth  while,  we  may  summarise  all  that  is  eligible 
in  the  emotional  life. 

Does  this  mean  that  there  is  no  rightful  place 
for  the  passions  that  stir,  leading  to  righteous 
indignation  and  a  zealous  plea  for  justice?  There 
is  room  for  every  atom  of  energy  that  ever  stirs 
the  human  breast.  But  it  is  a  question  of  effec- 
tiveness. Many  of  our  desires,  and  most  of  our 
emotions,  scatter  our  powers  and  lead  to  no  result 
save  to  leave  us  either  exhausted  or  at  best  merely 
free  from  the  passion  because  we  have  expressed  it. 
Always  there  is  a  possibility  that  this  energy 
may  be  organised.  Emotions  are  eligible  if  they 
accomplish  a  worthy  end.  But  if  merely  explosive 


84  Human  Efficiency 

or  impulsive  it  is  doubtful  whether  they  bring  any 
return.  Hence  it  becomes  a  question  of  goals  to  be 
won.  It  is  the  end  that  should  justify  the  means, 
not  the  mere  origin,  or  the  bare  fact  of  existence. 
Therefore  the  crucial  question  is,  In  what  man- 
ner can  I  best  express  my  zeal? 

The  desires  and  emotions  well  in  hand,  one  may 
advance  still  further  in  mental  co-ordination  by 
aid  of  the  imagination.  Since  the  mind  is  depend- 
ent on  memory-images  and  their  associates,  no 
small  part  of  the  process  of  overcoming  the  desires 
and  emotions  consists  in  substituting  a  group  of 
ideal  pictures  or  mental  images  in  place  of  those 
on  which  the  lower  desires  and  emotions  thrive. 
Like  the  emotions,  our  imagination  takes  its  clue 
from  the  prevailing  tone  of  the  mental  life.  If  the 
life  be  sensuous,  nothing  will  increase  this  sensual- 
ity in  a  mind  of  a  responsive  type  more  rapidly 
than  the  imagery  on  which  the  desires  are  permitted 
to  feed.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  through  the  imagina- 
tion that  desire  becomes  creative  and  attains 
higher  levels.  Likewise  an  emotion,  say  of  fear 
or  jealousy,  increases  in  power  until  it  sweeps 
through  and  controls  the  mind,  chiefly  because  the 
imagination  is  called  into  play  and  allowed  to 
enlarge  upon  a  slight  suggestion.  To  possess  power 
to  check  or  to  give  rein  to  the  imagination  is  indeed 
to  have  command  over  both  desires  and  emotions. 
Hence  the  importance  of  keeping  the  imagination 


Mental  Co-ordination  85 

alive  yet  directing  it  towards  the  ideal  can  hardly 
be  overstated. 

We  are  apt  to  disparage  the  imagination  because 
through  its  agency  we  create  all  that  is  unreal,  all 
our  fancies,  superstitions,  and  many  of  our  fears. x 
But  it  is  important  to  remember  that  the  imagina- 
tion is  merely  a  servant  of  the  intelligence  and  the 
will.  Hence  if  we  sink  in  the  scale  it  is  for  many 
cither  reasons,  while  we  rise  because  of  the  ideals 
which  the  imagination  in  part  creates.  The  essen- 
tial is  to  enlist  the  imagination  so  that  through 
its  marvellous  power  we  may  know  reality  the 
better,  conceiving  of  it  in  detail,  making  our  scien- 
tific conceptions  clear  and  vivid. 

The  chief  principle  is  the  power  the  mind  pos- 
sesses to  call  up  desirable  associations,  create  in 
imagination  the  condition  which  one  wishes  to 
attain.  There  is  no  direction  in  which  this  power 
of  suggestion  cannot  be  exercised.2  It  serves  the 
man  of  science,  of  affairs,  as  well  as  the  maker  of 
character,  the  artist,  and  the  poet.  It  is  particu- 
larly important  for  all  who  are  trying  to  overcome 
unfortunate  habits,  unruly  desires,  and  disturbing 
emotions;  for  by  the  aid  of  the  right  imagery  one 

1  Cf.  The  Practice  of  Self -Culture,  by  Hugh  Black,  Corlis  Co., 
Buffalo. 

*  For  an  accurate  account  of  suggestion,  see  discussions  of 
this  subject  in  Religion  and  Medicine,  by  Elwood  Worcester:  and 
Psychotherapy,  by  Hugo  Munsterberg,  New  York,  Moffatt,  Yard 
&Co. 


86  Human  Efficiency 

can  set  forces  at  work  which  will  conquer  the  states 
or  conditions  which  need  to  be  outwitted.  One 
may,  for  instance,  put  oneself  in  imagination  in  a 
more  efficient  state  of  mind,  in  contrast  with  the 
forebodings,  nervous  states,  and  influences  which 
tend  to  intrude  on  a  given  occasion.  One  can  make 
the  mental  picture  very  definite  by  calling  up  the 
surroundings  in  question,  the  people  whom  one 
is  likely  to  meet,  and  trying  to  feel  in  anticipa- 
tion the  calmness,  poise,  and  freedom  required 
to  meet  the  situation  wisely.  The  ideal  picture 
will  have  the  best  effect  if  dismissed  in  quiet  con- 
fidence to  do  its  work,  with  the  realisation  that  it 
possesses  actual  power  over  the  deeper  processes 
of  the  mind,  commonly  called  subconscious. 

The  suggestion  which  thus  gives  shape  to  the 
mental  imagery  is  an  activity  sent  forth  in  the 
desired  direction.  A  suggestion  thus  takes  effect 
only  so  far  as  it  is  not  inhibited  by  opposing  ideas, 
or  is  not  in  conflict  with  character.  For  suggestion 
has  no  magic  power  of  its  own,  either  to  control 
the  physical  organism  or  the  so-called  subconscious 
mind.  The  suggestion  is  not  itself  the  efficiency, 
but  the  efficiency  lies  in  character,  or  in  the  organ- 
ism. The  associates  of  a  mental  picture  count  for 
as  much  as  the  picture,  or  the  affirmation  through 
which  we  will  that  it  shall  be  realised.  These 
associates  may  or  may  not  be  desires  and  habits 
that  tend  to  further  the  purpose  in  view.  Very 


Mental  Co-ordination  87 

much  depends,  therefore,  on  the  previous  co-or- 
dination of  desires,  the  choice  and  elimination  of 
emotions,  as  above  described. 
'  There  are  two  ways  in  which  this  suggestional 
process  becomes  effective.  We  may  directly  work 
to  remove  strains,  relieve  tensions,  eliminate  fear, 
overcome  inhibitions;  or  we  may  put  the  atten- 
tion directly  upon  the  goal,  picturing  it  in  ideal 
terms,  declaring  that  it  shall  be  won.  The  ideal 
may  be  enforced  through  silent  contemplation, 
expectant  attention,  by  yearning  in  its  direction, 
realising  in  imagination  what  it  implies,  declaring 
that  we  shall  attain  it,  and  fixating  it  through 
intellectual  reflection;  or  by  declaring  that  it  is 
true  now,  is  the  greater  power,  is  already  establish- 
ing a  new  centre  of  equilibrium  within  one's  life. 
The  objection  to  this  affirmation  of  the  ideal  as 
true  now  is  that  it  readily  leads  in  the  unthinking 
mind  to  the  denial  of  its  opposite.  If  overdone, 
this  in  turn  means  the  ignoring  of  the  facts  of 
daily  existence  until  finally  an  essentially  mental 
method,  adopted  for  mere  purposes  of  convenience, 
is  reared  into  a  metaphysical  doctrine  of  a  super- 
ficial type. 

It  is  much  more  reasonable  to  classify  suggestion 
as  a  device,  not  a  rational  method,  but  a  device 
employed  to  attain  certain  ends,  and  carried  to  the 
extent  of  denial  of  its  opposite  only  when  the  mind 
is  not  strong  enough  to  face  the  enemy.  Thus 


88  Human  Efficiency 

stated  it  is  nothing  more  than  the  common-sense 
determination  to  know  no  such  word  as  fail.  Thus 
to  give  oneself  to  the  desired  idea  need  not  be  to 
deny  anything.  It  is  simply  the  valiant  acceptance 
of  an  idea  that  leads  to  action,  that  breaks  through 
the  line  in  the  given  direction.  For  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  deny  anything  if  assured  that  we  have 
given  ourselves  to  the  ideal,  which  we  forthwith 
set  out  to  make  our  own  through  work.  The 
secret  lies  not  in  what  is  excluded,  nor  in  the  mere 
object  of  attention,  but  in  the  persistently  applied 
attention  through  which  we  set  our  energies  free. 
What  reliance  may  also  be  put  upon  subconscious 
after-effects  we  shall  consider  in  the  next  chapter. 

The  central  characteristic  of  the  human  mind, 
we  are  learning  more  conclusively,  is  found  neither 
in  the  original  promptings  or  motives  nor  in  the 
fruitions  of  suggestion,  but  in  the  purpose  or  ideal. 
The  mind  at  its  best  is  essentially  purposive,  has 
an  aim,  and  attains  ends;  and  the  various  methods 
employed  are  secondary  to  the  life  that  employs. 
That  is,  mind  is  not  a  mere  succession  of  sensations, 
feelings,  emotions,  desires,  images,  ideas,  and 
volitions.  If  this  were  so,  it  could  never  be  a 
question  of  the  selection  and  co-ordination  of 
desires,  or  the  elimination  of  emotions.  Hence 
we  must  give  up  the  effort  to  account  for  ourselves 
in  merely  causal  terms,  as  if  mere  processes  could 
explain  all  that  we  are.  The  moment  I  begin  to 


Mental  Co-ordination  89 

give  heed  to  certain  contents  of  consciousness  in 
such  a  way  as  to  understand  them,  selecting  those 
that  support  my  intention,  rejecting  those  that 
are  unfavourable,  I  enter  the  stream  of  thought 
with  another  and  greater  power.  Hence  the  vital 
current  becomes  significant  in  the  light  of  what  I 
put  into  it,  what  I  propose  to  call  forth  from  it. 

We  well  know  when  we  look  at  the  matter  in  a 
comprehensive  manner  that  there  are  conditions 
which  we  cannot  eliminate  by  suggestion  but  only 
through  sheer  analysis.  Consequently,  it  is  when 
we  survey  the  whole  field,  noting  every  point  and 
every  quality,  that  we  really  become  masters  of 
the  situation.  For  the  mind  is  in  full  power  only 
when  facing  an  environment  or  series  of  circum- 
stances close  at  hand.  Suggestion  may  serve  as  a 
reminder  or  way  of  working  back  to  the  centre. 
We  may  sometimes  find  it  necessary  to  bring 
favourable  emotions  into  play,  as  when  men  go 
forth  to  war  or  engage  in  any  undertaking  that 
demands  courage.  Favouring  associations  are 
always  a  help  in  times  of  wavering  attention. 
But  when  the  last  word  has  been  said  in  behalf 
of  these  subsidiary  processes,  the  inspiring  truth 
remains  that  when  we  philosophically  grasp  the 
whole  situation  with  valiant  will  we  are  most  in 
power. 

It  is  needless  to  dwell  on  the  evasions,  delays, 
and  procrastinations  by  which  we  fail  to  rise  into 


90  Human  Efficiency 

full  power.  Suffice  it  that  we  can  learn  to  meet 
the  issues,  and  all  the  issues  promptly,  squarely, 
and  fully;  and  that  only  when  thus  fully  awake  is 
the  mind  truly  efficient.  Granted  the  courageous 
study  of  the  whole  situation,  in  which  nothing  is 
ignored  through  prejudice,  denied  on  theory,  or 
arbitrarily  put  aside,  we  may  well  make  it  the 
starting-point  for  fresh  suggestions,  ideal  pictures, 
and  wise  emotions.  But  it  is  through  conscious 
purpose  with  its  selective  power  and  its  rational 
processes  that  mastery  is  attained. 

Hence  the  successful  man  is  one  who  studies  the 
whole  situation  to  which  he  must  adapt  himself, 
making  allowances  for  the  slightest  possibilities 
of  error  if  a  man  of  science,  for  all  the  factors  that 
might  bring  failure  if  a  man  of  affairs,  and  thus  on 
through  the  professions  and  vocations.  He  has 
both  an  ideal  outlook  or  hypothesis,  a  plan  to  be 
tried,  and  a  working  faith  or  method  of  practical 
adjustment  by  which  to  keep  in  motion,  or  meet 
the  contingencies  of  the  passing  hour.  He  under- 
stands and  makes  use  of  processes,  but  does  not 
allow  himself  to  become  submerged  by  them,  or 
in  any  way  a  prisoner  within  the  means  employed 
to  attain  his  end.  Endeavouring  to  become  master 
of  an  art  or  science,  a  type  of  business,  or  the 
functions  of  an  official  in  some  institution,  he 
becomes  master  of  many  arts  by  mastering  the 
chosen  one.  For  the  lines  of  creative  mastery  tend 


Mental  Co-ordination  91 

to  converge  as  mental  evolution  proceeds,  and  one 
learns  that  the  principles  of  success  in  one  under- 
taking are  in  a  measure  the  principles  of  success  in 
all. 

The  man  of  most  distinctive  ability  is  likely  to 
possess  all  the  desires,  passions,  and  temptations 
that  others  possess,  and  some  of  these  in  larger 
measure.  The  difference  lies  not  alone  in  the 
cferebral  capacity,  in  the  mental  training,  physical 
health,  or  even  the  moral  character.  It  consists 
in  part  in  the  steady,  and  persistent,  the  detailed 
and  valiant  application  of  attention  which  is 
called  to  the  service  of  the  purpose  which  inspires 
the  man. 

A  man's  purpose  gives  him  a  standard  by  which 
to  measure  the  opportunities  that  are  open  to  him 
and  to  select  those  that  are  most  directly  contri- 
butory. Thus  he  may,  for  example,  evaluate  the 
various  pleasures,  choosing  some  because  in  line, 
discarding  others  because  like  the  emotions  and 
desires  they  run  to  excess.  In  the  same  manner  he 
can  assess  the  luxuries,  deciding  what  ones  are  really 
what  they  are  reputed  to  be,  what  are  more  truly 
necessities  in  his  case.  Thus  in  time  he  can  develop 
an  ideal  of  happiness  regarded  as  inclusive  of  the 
wiser  pleasures,  by  taking  the  nature  and  function 
of  pain  into  account,  and  endeavouring  to  live  a 
uniform  life.  The  higher  and  the  more  intelligent 
his  purpose,  the  more  likely  he  is  to  live  a  simple 


92  Human  Efficiency 

life,  in  the  best  sense  of  the  term.  With  the  dom- 
inance of  his  purpose  will  grow  a  freedom  from 
moods,  restlessness,  impatience,  and  discontent; 
and  more  and  more  he  will  become  a  man  of 
character. 

Some  one  has  said  that  concentration  is  a  form 
of  courage.  Doubtless  this  is  true,  for  it  requires 
courage  to  hold  to  a  purpose,  to  bring  together 
all  the  lines  that  tend  to  converge  in  the  direc- 
tion of  one's  purpose,  and  to  keep  steadily  at  work 
amidst  numberless  distractions.  The  best  work 
in  the  world  is  sometimes  done  by  those  who  have 
the  greatest  number  of  intervening  circumstances 
to  overcome.  The  stronger  the  purpose  the  more 
willing  one  is  to  master  obstacles.  Meanwhile, 
there  are  compensatory  pleasures.  One  of  the 
greatest  of  these  is  just  this  bringing  together  of 
contributory  lines  of  activity  through  mental 
co-ordination,  the  pleasure  of  working  with  well- 
trained  associates,  and  engaging  in  executive  work 
in  which  the  powers  of  the  individual  are  enlisted 
to  the  full.  There  is  a  zest  in  bringing  matters  to  a 
head  on  time,  when  time  is  short,  and  at  the  last 
moment.  Then  if  ever  the  marvellous  power  of 
the  human  mind  is  seen,  a  power  in  which  habit, 
association,  memory,  intellectual  vigour,  and  the 
will  are  seen  in  the  most  active  exercise.  Quick 
decisions  then  follow  in  rapid  succession,  insights 
involving  years  of  experience  and  training  are 


Mental  Co-ordination  93 

brought  into  play,  supplemented  by  quick  remin- 
ders of  things  almost  forgotten  until  the  last 
moment.  Surely,  the  true  nature  of  the  mind  is 
here  more  clearly  seen  than  in  the  mere  leisureli- 
ness  or  the  bare  simplicity  for  which  its  fullest 
powers  have  sometimes  been  mistaken.  The 
mind's  quickest  co-ordinations  are  very  often  its 
best. 

.  t  The  point  of  our  discussion  is  that  for  every  man 
who  wills  to  become  highly  efficient  there  is  a  way 
to  acquire  inner  control  to  master  habits,  wasteful 
emotions,  troublesome  moods,  and  all  other  adverse 
mental  states.  The  power  of  control  is  of  course 
not  mental  alone,  but  also  moral,  and  it  may  be 
strengthened  by  religion.  But  the  mechanism  is 
psychological,  the  basis  of  moral  power  in  actual 
exercise  is  intellectual  co-ordination,  and  it  is 
through  the  will  that  the  ideal  becomes  efficient. 
Hence  the  intelligent  man  begins  at  the  point 
where  he  really  can  succeed,  namely,  by  taking 
himself  in  hand  just  where  he  is  now  living  and 
working,  considering  what  needs  to  be  changed, 
what  powers  will  secure  the  change,  and  the 
crucial  point  at  which  to  strike  in. 

Although  we  have  dwelt  chiefly  on  the  control 
of  the  mental  dispositions  which  must  be  brought 
into  line,  it  is  well  to  remember  one  of  the  main 
points  of  the  preceding  chapter,  namely  that  mind 
and  brain  move  along  together.  The  basis  of 


94  Human  Efficiency 

mental  co-ordination  is  control  of  the  brain.  Hence 
it  is  necessary  to  train  the  organism  through  skilled 
performance.  Ordinarily,  mental  and  physical 
training  are  acquired  together,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  painter  who  while  mastering  the  intellectual 
principles  of  his  art  is  training  his  eye,  acquiring 
manual  skill,  and  a  hundred  incidental  lines  of 
efficiency.  But  it  is  well  for  the  devotee  of  indus- 
trial efficiency  to  remind  himself  of  the  mental 
half  of  his  manual  skill,  and  for  the  intellectual 
worker  to  make  sure  that  his  mental  training  is 
made  complete  on  the  physical  side.  The  meeting- 
point  for  all  types  of  efficiency  is  the  brain.  There- 
fore for  every  man  of  us  the  right  training  of  the 
brain  is  of  supreme  importance.1  It  is  of  little 
avail  to  think,  to  make  right  suggestions,  create 
ideal  pictures,  or  even  to  discipline  the  emotions 
and  desires,  unless  we  also  do  something  with  our 
brains,  hence  with  the  organism,  to  carry  the  ideal 
into  execution.  Failure  to  do  this  accounts  for 
most  of  the  theoretical,  that  is,  the  inefficient 
people  of  the  world.  Man  is  an  active  being,  his 
organism  was  made  for  action,  his  brain  is  an 
instrument  for  action,  and  success  lies  in  carrying 
the  wisdom  of  the  mental  world  into  realisation 
in  the  external  world. 

1  Cf.  Arnold  Bennett,  The  Human  Machine,  New  York,  Geo. 
H.  Doran  Co. ,  1911.  See  also  Professor  James's  chapter  on  Habit, 
Psychology,  vol.  i. 


0 


CHAPTER    V 

THE    SUBCONSCIOUS 

UR  study  of  the  human  mind  has  steadily 
emphasised  the  fact  that  only  in  a  very 
gradual  way  does  man  become  conscious,  that  is, 
in  the  active  sense  known  as  "will. "  Long  before 
the  character  begins  definitely  to  be  formed,  reflex 
or  automatic  actions  have  occupied  the  field.  Then 
there  are  spontaneous  movements  of  many  sorts, 
such  as  those  of  the  child  at  play,  semi-reflex 
actions,  responses  to  external  stimuli,  and  instinc- 
tive motor-reactions  by  which  the  individual 
becomes  self -protective ;  for  example,  when  the 
eye  closes  suddenly  if  an  object  is  brought  near, 
or  when  we  withdraw  the  whole  organism  from 
impending  danger.  Later  still,  when  experiences 
have  been  stored  away  in  such  wise  as  to  cause 
reactions  involving  temperament,  there  are  re- 
sponses due  to  memory-images  without  deliber- 
ate volition,  just  as  the  child  retreats  even  at 
the  sight  of  a  hot  stove  after  its  hand  has  been 
burned  and  associations  between  the  pain  and  the 
stove  have  been  established.  Experiences  thus 

95 


96  Human  Efficiency 

build  themselves  up  without  limit,  and  it  is  with 
profound  reason  that  man  is  called  "a  creature  of 
habit."  Volition  or  will  in  the  conscious  sense  of 
the  term  supervenes  upon  these  reflex  and  instinc- 
tive reactions,  beginning  its  functions  when  the 
self  is  able  to  pay  attention,  to  inhibit  instinctive 
responses,  and  in  a  measure  take  command  of  the 
organism.  Hence  follow  the  selections,  choices, 
and  co-ordinations  which  we  have  considered  in  the 
preceding  chapter.  More  strictly,  even  the  self 
is  in  some  respects  a  product  of  the  directive  acts 
of  attention  which  in  due  course  become  possible. 
Will  presupposes  the  automatic  and  other 
activities  to  which  it  gives  form.  Whereas  mere 
self-preservation  was  the  end  implied  in  instinct, 
the  will  seeks  a  higher  form  of  expression,  that  is, 
its  goal  is  self-fulfilment.  Hence  criticism  of  the 
impulses  leads  to  the  subordination  of  some,  the 
elevation  of  others.  Mere  choice  leads  to  active 
decisions  in  favour  of  the  purposes  in  view,  adapta- 
tion of  means  to  ends,  and  intellectual  pursuits 
which  take  the  place  of  less  developed  modes  of 
self-expression.  Thus  the  way  is  prepared  for 
moral  synthesis,  for  consistency,  integration.  This 
is  clearly  seen  in  the  case  of  a  virtue  such  as  tem- 
perance, an  attainment  so  far  removed  from  the 
instincts  that  it  involves  not  merely  selection 
between  impulses  but  control  of  most  of  them, 
abstinence  from  pleasures  that  disturb  the  health 


The  Subconscious  97 

of  the  organism,  discipline  through  the  overcoming 
of  impatience  and  other  disturbing  tendencies,  and 
co-ordination  of  the  virtues.  The  temperate  man 
not  only  controls  his  brain  and  through  that  the 
organism,  he  not  only  acquires  intellectual  con- 
centration and  system,  but  is  moderate  even  in 
the  expression  of  virtues  such  as  self-sacrifice. 
Now,  there  is  a  theory  that,  inasmuch  as  so 
many  of  these  mental  activities  lie  below  the  level 
of  consciousness  as  we  ordinarily  know  it,  therefore 
the  reflex-movements,  spontaneous  responses,  and 
instinctive  reactions  are  directed  by  a  "subcon- 
scious mind. "  Further  than  this,  it  is  claimed  that 
our  intellectual  processes  are  largely  subconscious, 
hence  that  even  in  the  case  of  volition  it  is  "sug- 
gestion,"  not  conscious  thought,  that  is  the  deci- 
sive factor.  That  is  to  say,  many  activities  that  are 
obviously  physiological,  such  as  the  reflex-processes 
of  the  heart  and  lungs,  are  theoretically  raised  to 
the  level  of  mind,  while  mind  in  the  higher  sense  of 
volition  and  thought  is  dragged  down  to  the  level 
of  instinct.  The  tendency  of  this  doctrine  is  to 
efface  the  distinctions  which  psychologists  have 
drawn  between  the  involuntary  and  the  voluntary, 
to  neglect  the  will  almost  altogether,  and  assign 
the  first  place  to  "suggestion."  The  conclusion 
is  that  since  the  mind  is  amenable  to  suggestion, 
success  in  any  undertaking  means  power  to  influ- 
ence or  win  over  another's  mind;  and  to  render 


98  Human  Efficiency 

one's  own  mind  more  and  more  subject,  through 
receptivity  or  meditation,  to  suggestions  of  the 
right  sort.  It  follows  that  efficiency  is  subcon- 
scious, hence  we  have  been  mistaken  in  our  ef- 
forts to  advance  through  intellectual  co-ordination. 
It  is  worth  while  to  deviate  from  the  main  line 
of  our  investigation  long  enough  to  examine  this 
hypothesis,  not  only  because  it  is  widely  held  in 
our  day,  hence  must  be  reckoned  with,  but  because 
it  contains  a  truth  of  very  great  value.  Human 
knowledge  advances  through  temporary  emphasis 
on  one  factor  at  the  expense  of  others,  and  we  may 
well  take  this  fact  as  matter  of  course.  Every 
age  needs  its  general  term  by  which  to  solve  the 
problems  that  are  left  over,  its  limbo  to  which 
insistent  mysteries  may  be  consigned.  Hence  the 
magic  word  is  now  "subconscious,"  with  its 
wonder-working  equivalents.  The  vasty  deep 
beneath  this  mystic  sign  is  indeed  spacious,  with 
room  for  everything  that  was  once  classified 
under  the  head  of  "unconscious  cerebration," 
on  the  one  hand;  and  for  the  noblest  religious 
treasures,  on  the  other.  Out  of  its  abysses  the 
spirits  of  the  mighty  dead  are  summoned.  It  is 
appealed  to  by  the  unlettered  as  well  as  by  the 
scientific.  Some  indeed  will  confidently  assure  you 
that  the  subconscious  does  not  exist,  but  others 
maintain  that  under  the  guise  of  "the  subliminal 
self"  it  is  the  centre  and  source  of  countless  ac- 


The  Subconscious  99 

tivities  never  before  supposed  to  have  a  common 
home.  It  is  referred  to  more  and  more  by  writers 
who  undertake  to  explain  religion  in  psychologi- 
cal terms,  and  it  bids  fair  to  usurp  the  place  for- 
merly occupied  by  the  theory  of  divine  revelation. x 
There  are  those  who  assure  us  that  the  subcon- 
scious is  a  distinct  or  subjective  mind,  functioning 
by  laws  of  its  own,  while  others  speak  familiarly  of 
tne  subconscious  as  if  it  were  another  personality. 
In  fact,  the  subconscious  region  is  the  supposed 
place  of  concealment  of  multiple  personalities, 
and  there  is  no  end  to  the  phenomena  which  may 
rise  from  it  either  spontaneously  or  by  the  aid  of 
hypnotism.  So  broad  is  the  term  that  it  is  virtually 
an  "x"  both  in  scientific  and  popular  thought. 
Amidst  this  diversity  of  opinion  concerning  a 
matter  said  to  be  within  the  possibility  of  experi- 
ment by  all,  can  we  find  a  central  clue?  Undoubt- 
edly, and  I  shall  at  once  state  my  thesis,  one  which 
would  be  perfectly  obvious  if  we  had  not  assigned 
too  much  power  to  the  subconscious.  There  is 
but  one  mind,  and  this  is  the  stream  of  processes 
which  we  know  as  perceptions,  emotions,  volitions, 
and  ideas;  and  this  mind  is  intimately  associated 
with  the  physical  organism.  In  so  far  as  we  may 
rightfully  speak  of  the  subconscious,  we  must  take 
our  clues  from  what  we  know  about  consciousness 

1  See  a  criticism  of  this  view  by  the  Bishop  of  Ossory  in  the 
Hibbert  Journal,  January,  1911. 


ioo  Human  Efficiency 

and  the  character  of  the  individual.  All  that  we 
know  about  the  deeper  levels  of  the  stream  of 
thought  is  learned  by  inference  from  our  active 
consciousness.  Hence  the  more  knowledge  we 
have  of  conscious  processes  the  better  prepared  we 
shall  be  to  understand  the  subconscious.  We  are 
likely  to  employ  the  latter  term  less  instead  of 
more  frequently  as  our  knowledge  increases. 

It  is  chiefly  because  of  our  ignorance  of  the 
profound  relationship  of  the  mind  to  the  brain 
that  we  place  so  much  stress  on  the  subconscious. 
It  is  our  ignorance  of  the  laws  of  consciousness 
exhibited  in  reasoning  that  has  led  to  the  assump- 
tion that  there  is  a  subjective  mind  that  reasons 
differently.  Again,  we  have  resorted  to  the  hypo- 
thesis that  the  subconscious  mind  is  the  soul 
because  our  ideas  are  so  vague  concerning  the 
meaning  of  this  eulogistic  term.  The  subconscious 
is  not  a  realm  of  mysterious  powers  that  accomplish 
wonders  through  suggestion  without  effort  on  our 
part,  but  it  is  like  a  shadow  copying  the  absurd 
as  well  as  the  intelligible  shapes  which  our  con- 
sciousness casts  upon  it. 

Now,  this  is  indeed  disappointing  to  some,  and 
these  propositions  need  proof,  but  the  result  will 
be  that  we  shall  be  put  in  surer  possession  of  our 
minds.  I  had  a  pupil  once  whose  remarks  were 
illuminating  in  this  connection.  Having  faithfully 
tried  to  persuade  her  that  despite  her  increasing 


The  Subconscious  101 

grey  hairs  the  proper  way  for  her  to  begin  the 
study  of  philosophy  was  at  the  beginning,  I  was 
met  by  this  scornful  rejoinder,  "Well,  I  do  my 
thinking  subconsciously."  This  meant,  being 
interpreted  that  she  never  did  any  thinking.  For 
she  had  an  uncommonly  incoherent  mind,  and 
never  permitted  her  interlocutor  or  even  herself 
to  finish  a  paragraph.  Oftentimes  more  than  two 
ijleas  were  contending  for  mastery  in  a  single 
sentence.  Never  having  trained  her  mental 
powers  in  any  fashion,  she  could  not  of  course 
count  on  any  subconscious  after-effects  of  any 
value.  For  the  associates  of  a  given  idea  when  re- 
called by  us  are  those  formed  when  we  consciously 
gave  heed  to  it.  The  greater  the  incoherence  and 
incredulity  of  our  conscious  life,  the  greater  the 
corresponding  vices  that  haunt  our  subconscious- 
ness.  Increase  the  virtues  of  your  conscious 
selfhood  and  you  will  not  be  greatly  troubled  by 
subliminal  tell-tales. 

Before  inquiring  into  processes  which  may 
rightfully  be  called  subconscious,  it  is  well  to 
remember  that  the  once  familiar  hypothesis  of 
unconscious  cerebration  is  by  no  means  out  of 
date.1  Take  the  question  of  habit,  for  example. 
We  readily  assume  that  habit  is  mental.  Yet 
careful  reflection  shows  that  while  we  do  indeed 

1  See  Mental  Physiology,  W.  B.  Carpenter,  chapter  xiii.,  for 
a  discussion  of  this  subject. 


102  Human  Efficiency 

have  habits  of  thinking  and  willing,  while  charac- 
ter itself  is  in  part  an  accumulation  of  habits, 
nevertheless  habits  are  chiefly  cerebral  and  demand 
a  physiological  explanation.  A  German  physio- 
logist has  said  that  we  learn  to  skate  in  summer  and 
to  swim  in  winter.  It  is  long  before  the  half-spent 
motions  of  the  organism  produce  their  total  effects 
upon  us,  and  many  motions  go  on  incessantly. 
It  is  a  matter  of  parsimony  in  scientific  explana- 
tion to  account  for  as  many  results  as  we  can  by 
referring  them  to  these  processes  of  the  brain. 
When  we  start  out  on  a  fortunate  day  finding 
that  we  can  ride  a  bicycle,  after  various  attempts 
and  clumsy  failures  in  the  days  that  have  gone, 
this  simply  means  that  the  organism  has  acquired 
the  habit.  Likewise  with  many  other  conse- 
quences. We  may  have  initiated  the  action 
consciously,  as  the  boy  emulates  his  elders  and 
tries  to  whistle ;  but  when  the  result  ensues  it  does 
not  follow  that  a  hidden  mental  process  has  accom- 
panied and  directed  the  new  activity.  We  all  know 
what  it  is  to  get  our  brains  into  a  whirl  such  that 
consciousness  cannot  intervene.  The  more  carefully 
trained  the  brain  is  through  consecutive  and  sys- 
tematic work,  the  more  we  may  depend  on  it  to  ex- 
hibit the  measured  consequences  of  orderly  activity. 
When  we  discover  how  much  the  association  of 
cerebral  events  and  conditions  can  accomplish  for 
us  it  is  time  to  speak  of  subconsciousness. 


The  Subconscious  103 

Association  of  objects  counts  for  so  much  that 
it  is  only  occasionally  that  we  are  in  any  measure 
free  from  it.  Consciousness  is  ordinarily  the 
accompaniment  of  the  processes  of  the  brain 
which  proceed  through  habit  and  association. 
This  is  in  large  part  what  we  mean  by  saying  that 
the  organism  is  psychophysical.  It  would  compli- 
cate the  matter  at  this  point  to  hold  that  there  is  a 
t^ird  something  between  brain  and  mind.  Conse- 
quently we  have  no  reason  to  expect  that  a  hidden 
power  will  accomplish  ends  which  are  not  already 
in  operation  in  mind  or  brain.  On  the  other  hand, 
to  say  that  subconsciousness  is  a  phase  of  the  mind 
as  we  know  it  is  to  find  that  the  term  has  meaning. 

At  the  present  moment  in  the  case  of  the  reader 
there  is  before  the  mind  an  active  field  of  conscious- 
ness at  the  centre  of  which  is  the  idea  "subcon- 
scious" which  he  is  engaged  in  analysing.  Around 
this  centre  and  fading  away  into  the  margin  are 
allied  ideas,  and  a  more  or  less  distinct  awareness 
of  the  flux  of  perceptions  related  to  the  objects 
round  about  and  to  the  processes  of  the  organism. 
Ideas  rise  and  fall  out  of  the  stream  of  thought 
engaging  interest  for  the  time,  then  subsiding. 
This  interchange  is  going  on  all  the  while.  If  we 
examine  this  process  closely  we  shall  become 
aware  that  there  are  various  ways  in  which  we 
carry  it  on.  We  may,  for  example,  select  a  leading 
idea  and  actively  proceed  to  develop  it,  looking 


104  Human  Efficiency 

up  data  in  books  of  reference,  asking  questions 
of  the  competent,  and  applying  ourselves  as  we 
might  to  a  problem  in  algebra.  Or,  we  may  take 
a  subject  under  advisement  as  a  clergyman  broods 
over  the  topic  of  his  next  sermon  all  through  the 
week.  If  we  are  not  trained  in  introspection,  we 
are  likely  to  hold  that  the  finished  product  which 
makes  itself  known  on  a  propitious  day  is  a  gift 
of  the  subconscious  mind.  We  are  likely  to  make 
this  assumption  if  the  discourse  thus  produced 
appears  to  exceed  in  value  those  which  we  have 
prepared  by  the  actively  conscious  method.  But 
careful  examination  would  enable  us  to  trace 
every  statement  to  its  source  in  ideas  gathered 
here  and  there,  and  gradually  associated.  The 
mind  is  marvellously  quick,  and  while  we  are 
actively  engaged  elsewhere  we  may  seize  upon  an 
idea,  gain  a  hint,  reflect  on  it  an  instant,  scarcely 
aware  that  we  have  thought.  The  fact  that  we 
have  interests,  that  we  pursue  ideals  to  realise 
them,  that  we  are  bent  upon  accomplishing  ends, 
is  sufficient  to  account  for  these  side-lights  of 
gathering  knowledge.  The  significant  fact  is  that 
we  instantly  associate  that  new  and  sudden  flash 
with  side-lights  that  have  gone  before.  When  in 
due  course  we  again  make  conscious  effort  we  are 
able  to  bring  into  a  completed  whole  the  fragments 
which  we  have  incidentally  gathered  and  associated. 
If  open-minded,  reflective,  we  are  likely  to  do  a 


The  Subconscious  105 

great  deal  of  this  half -conscious  gathering  of  ideas. 
Hence  we  may  to  a  degree  depend  on  them,  we 
may  solve  some  of  our  problems  in  this  way, thereby 
attaining  certain  of  our  ends  more  easily.  But 
these  are  simply  phases  of  consciousness.  These 
less-conscious  processes  would  be  revealed  to  an 
acute  sub-attentiveness.  They  are  really  not  below 
the  threshold  of  thought.  The  more  one  studies 
them  the  less  need  one  has  for  any  term  such  as 
" intuition"  which  assumes  that  our  knowledge 
is  acquired  by  a  process  less  conscious  than  that 
of  inductive  reasoning.  If  we  would  correct  the 
less-conscious  processes  we  must  set  apart  a 
portion  of  our  active  consciousness  to  watch  over 
them  sub-attentively.  Then  we  shall  be  able  to 
advance  by  improving  our  conduct.  This  is  the 
true  road  to  success,  not  the  supposed  royal  road 
through  suggestion  so  greatly  heralded  abroad  in 
our  day.  All  real  growth  in  character  and  ration- 
ality is  from  the  less  to  the  more  conscious.  When 
a  line  of  activity  is  under  our  eyes  we  may  discover 
what  the  difficulty  is  and  remedy  it. 

We  assume  that  we  are  decidedly  conscious 
beings,  starting  at  a  definite  point  with  the  accep- 
tance of  a  financial,  economic,  social,  or  religious 
creed,  and  squaring  all  our  views  by  its  principles. 
As  matter  of  fact,  we  are  immersed  in  the  impulses, 
emotions,  ideas,  and  volitions  which  constitute  our 
mental  life ;  and  few  know  what  it  is  to  have  their 


io6  Human  Efficiency 

heads  wholly  above  water.  In  terms  of  the  well- 
known  figure,  we  do  not  see  the  wood  for  the  trees. 
Some  of  us  are  able  to  maintain  a  general  direction, 
while  others  have  not  yet  learned  the  points  of  the 
compass.  Occasionally  we  emerge  into  a  clearing 
and  make  good  resolutions,  but  forthwith  plunge 
into  the  forest  to  grope  amidst  enticing  objects 
that  render  us  unmindful  of  our  purpose.  Spec- 
tres of  our  dead  selves  arise  when  we  would  be 
upright  and  moral.  In  business  and  vocational 
matters  we  maintain  a  steady  pace  for  many  suc- 
cessive hours,  but  habit  draws  us  aside  when  the 
time  for  relaxation  ensues.  Since  this  is  what  it  is 
to  be  conscious  there  is  less  reason  than  we  thought 
to  claim  the  aid  of  the  subconscious. 

To  be  sure,  there  are  partly  hidden  clues  which 
still  serve  us  better  than  any  that  we  plainly  see. 
Here,  for  example,  is  an  instance  from  real  life 
recently  told  me.  A  business  man  who  knew  him- 
self well  decided  to  give  up  smoking  and  wine- 
drinking,  for  he  realised  that  these  habits  interfered 
with  his  spiritual  progress.  He  knew  that  he 
could  accomplish  little  by  direct  attack,  therefore 
he  simply  waited,  keeping  his  good  intention  in 
mind,  expecting  a  favourable  juncture.  Finally, 
one  day  when  some  one  offered  him  a  cigar  it 
occurred  to  him  without  thinking  about  the  matter 
at  all,  to  remark  rather  casually  that  he  thought 
he  would  not  smoke  that  day.  That  incident 


The  Subconscious  107 

proved  to  be  the  turning-point,  and  when  he  was 
next  offered  a  glass  of  wine,  a  week  or  two  later, 
he  as  easily  declined  and  from  that  time  on  did  not 
drink  liquor  of  any  sort.  Meanwhile,  of  course, 
he  had  been  keeping  his  good  intention  before  him, 
making  use  of  all  the  knowledge  he  had  gained 
concerning  the  human  mind.  He  knew  that  there 
is  "a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men, "  and  had  resolved 
tp  take  the  current  when  it  served.  Thus  he 
accomplished  easily  what  he  could  scarcely  have 
gained  through  a  struggle.  But  of  course  the 
victory  was  largely  won  by  the  time  he  quietly 
made  his  confident  resolution.  At  a  further  stage 
of  development  this  man  might  be  so  far  conscious 
as  to  make  the  change  coincident  with  the  resolu- 
tion. The  significant  feature  of  this  man's  experi- 
ence is  that  as  a  conscious  being  he  had  already 
reached  the  point  where  he  more  strongly  desired 
to  cease  drinking  and  smoking  than  to  smoke  and 
drink.  The  attention  which  he  bestowed  on  his 
resolution  gave  it  such  active  power  that  it  worked 
within  his  mind.  It  was  then  a  case  of  the  survival 
of  the  fittest.  This  man's  efficiency  was  conscious, 
not  subconscious. 

Our  conscious  part  is  to  attend,  give  heed  to  the 
desired  object,  making  our  resolutions  as  definite 
and  concrete  as  possible  by  the  aid  of  the  imagina- 
tion. For  example  as,  previously  noted,  if  inclined 
to  be  nervous  and  self-conscious  in  a  certain  social 


io8  Human  Efficiency 

situation  I  may  create  in  imagination  a  picture  of 
myself  in  precisely  that  situation,  meeting  the 
experience  as  I  should  like  to  meet  it.  The  same 
method  may  be  applied  to  character,  to  any  phase 
of  mental  life  which  we  wish  to  change  in  which 
there  are  conditions  to  be  overcome  which  require 
time  or  a  flank  movement  on  our  part.  For  the 
ideal  picture  will  help  us  to  act  in  the  way  proposed. 
The  mental  picture  or  thought  while  not  the  sole 
factor  is  an  aid  to  the  activity  which  we  wish  to 
regulate.  It  is  not  necessary  to  assume  the  ex- 
istence of  a  hidden  power  which  functions  in  a 
different  manner  in  response  to  suggestion. 

It  is  no  doubt  true  that  the  mind  possesses 
powers  of  assimilation  and  co-ordination,  as  well 
as  of  receptivity,  of  which  we  are  not  aware. 
Hence  we  may  learn  to  observe  periods  of  rest  and 
change  with  excellent  results,  we  may  give  freer 
play  to  spontaneity,  awaiting  occasions  and  natural 
fruitions.  Thus  our  periods  of  upliftment  may 
begin  at  less  conscious  moments  when  for  various 
reasons  our  minds  are  more  open.  Such  a  period 
ensues,  for  example,  during  the  drowsy  moments 
before  we  sleep  or  very  early  in  the  morning 
when  we  are  scarcely  awake.  In  the  still  hours  of 
the  night,  after  the  excitements  of  the  day  have 
passed,  and  the  physical  organism  is  less  active, 
it  is  sometimes  possible  to  become  more  profoundly 
reflective.  The  same  is  true  in  the  early  morning 


The  Subconscious  109 

before  the  life  of  the  senses  intervenes.  We  then 
bring  our  thoughts  into  clearer  relief,  receiving 
what  we  pray  for  in  more  conscious  fashion.  Such 
a  time  may  indeed  bring  us  into  more  intimate 
communion  with  God;  we  may  be  far  more  open 
and  free.  But  this  does  not  prove  either  the  exist- 
ence of  higher  faculties  or  that  the  subconscious 
mind  is  the  means  of  communication  between 
God  and  man,  as  some  allege.  It  does  not  seem 
possible  that  those  who  hold  this  view  could 
seriously  have  examined  it.  It  makes  us  out  to  be 
strange  creatures,  as  if  God  could  find  access  to  us 

(only  on  the  sly.  Let  us  rather  say  that  in  our  most 
highly  conscious  moments,  in  our  moral  decisions, 
our  acts  of  service  and  worship,  the  divine  Father 
is  nearest.  God  is  reason,  truth,  and  to  know 
Him  we  must  be  acutely  aware  of  the  right  and 
the  true.  If  we  cannot  find  Him  in  our  experiences 
of  struggle,  suffering,  transition,  and  triumph,  we 
cannot  find  Him  anywhere. 

To  say  this  is  not  to  ignore  the  fact  that  there 
is  an  inner  centre  or  "the  spirit"  in  man,  more 
responsive  than  the  external  process  in  which  we 
are  pursuing  self-conscious  ends.  But  the  fact  of 
its  existence,  together  with  the  conditions  known 
as  childlikeness  and  purity  of  heart,  is  a  discovery 
which  we  make  by  contrasting  conscious  processes. 
If  we  then  proceed  to  make  more  of  the  heart,  it  is 
by  inhibiting  other  tendencies,  readapting  our 


no  Human  Efficiency 

conscious  life.  The  instant  of  communion  of  human 
and  divine  is  if  you  please  subconscious,  or  rather 
unconscious,  but  so  is  any  point  of  contact  in  our 
experience.  We  are  limited  to  the  tendencies, 
stimulations,  and  incentives  which  rise  above  the 
level  of  union  into  the  sphere  of  sentiment  and 
will. 

When  we  are  most  absorbed  in  an  experience 
which  enlists  all  our  activity  we  are  least  aware 
of  processes,  hence  we  are  thinking  neither  of 
faculties  nor  of  the  precise  approach  of  the  power 
that  inspires.  Later  we  may  infer  from  what  has 
taken  place  the  factors  which  made  its  occurrence 
possible.  This  indeed  is  the  only  ground  of  infer- 
ence we  have,  since  the  stream  of  consciousness 
ever  flows  on,  giving  us  no  opportunities  to  inspect 
it  as  perceived  precisely  as  we  are  perceiving  it. 
Strictly  speaking  it  is  not  a  question  of  conscious 
and  subconscious  but  of  the  mediate  and  the 
immediate.  Here  there  is  a  real  distinction,  for 
we  all  know  by  experience  the  difference  between 
critical  thought  in  which  we  pass  from  item  to  item 
explaining  facts  by  means  of  principles;  and  the 
exceedingly  rapid  process  by  which  we  directly 
apprehend  ideas  through  intuition.  In  the  more 
immediate  processes  there  are  fewer  obstacles, 
and  we  like  to  believe  that  naught  stands  between 
the  heart  and  God.  If  the  immediate  presence  of 
God  be  a  fact,  it  follows  that  the  nature  of  the  soul 


The  Subconscious  in 

is  such  as  to  make  this  contiguity  possible.  But 
even  here  the  immediacy  which  we  attribute  to 
our  nature  is  devoid  of  meaning  except  through 
the  thinking  and  the  conduct  by  which  we  render 
it  explicit.  Moreover,  if  God  be  contiguous  to 
one  side  of  our  nature  is  He  not  contiguous  to  all? 
Why  then  should  we  call  the  soul  subconscious? 

It  is  Hudson,  with  his  much  heralded  Law  of 
Psychic  Phenomena,  who  has  given  popularity  to  a 
supposed  distinction  between  the  subjective  mind 
and  the  objective.  It  is  said  that  the  subjective 
mind  does  not  start  with  facts  and  proceed  induc- 
tively like  the  objective  mind.  From  this  conclu- 
sion it  is  an  easy  leap  to  the  proposition  that  the 
subjective  mind  really  is  the  soul.  But  where 
does  this  leave  us  poor  mortals  who  reason,  who 
hold  that  inductive  science  is  steadily  conquering 
the  world?  Shall  we  say  that  to  depart  from  sub- 
jectivity is  to  withdraw  from  God?  As  matter 
of  fact  all  we  need  is  the  above  distinction  within 
consciousness  between  the  immediate  and  the 
mediate,  together  with  knowledge  of  mental 
evolution. 

We  begin  life  on  the  level  of  instinct  and  emotion, 
and  after  a  time  become  great  believers  in  intuition. 
To  the  end  we  must  reverence  the  leadership  of 
woman,  of  the  spirit  or  heart  in  us,  for  we  can 
hardly  expect  to  know  as  much  as  we  "feel"- 
to  use  the  vague  term  which  sometimes  means  so 


ii2  Human  Efficiency 

much.  Nevertheless,  our  life,  if  we  are  really 
growing,  is  a  progress  from  intuitively  perceived 
wholes  to  explicitly  known  particulars.  The 
intuition  of  to-day  becomes  the  concretely  ana- 
lysable  knowledge  of  next  year.  The  "eternal 
feminine"  which  ever  draws  us  on  is  the  ideal 
element  which  we  steadily  approach  and  assimilate 
only  to  find  that  it  has  moved  forward  to  inspire 
us  to  greater  attainment.  The  change  is  from  the 
implicit  to  the  explicit,  from  whole  to  part,  the 
immediate  to  the  mediate.  The  objective  is  another 
form  of  the  same  matter  dealt  with  by  a  more  de- 
liberate process.  The  soul  is  neither  objective  nor 
subjective  but  is  the  underlying  being  or  self  in 
which  these  processes  of  will  and  thought  inhere. 
If  you  believe  your  soul  is  subjective  and  works 
by  a  hidden  process  you  are  likely  to  give  up 
analysis  and  constructive  thinking,  hence  you  will 
drop  back  in  the  mental  scale.  Instead  of  intel- 
lectual alertness  you  will  cultivate  vague  recep- 
tivity, expecting  to  attract  in  completed  form 
ideas  and  types  of  energy  of  a  greatly  superior 
sort.  Accordingly,  you  will  put  off  the  day  of 
union  between  reason  and  the  heart,  going  in 
fruitless  pursuit  of  a  new  duality.  Once  persuaded 
of  this  view  of  mental  life  it  will  seem  perfectly 
reasonable  to  disparage  intellectuality  in  favour 
of  mental  processes  in  which  the  mind  yields 
too  much,  is  unduly  and  vaguely  receptive. 


The  Subconscious  113 

Meanwhile,  if  the  soul  should  indeed  speak  from 
its  subjective  depths  would  it  not  say,  "Have  I 
been  so  long  with  thee  and  dost  thou  not  know 
me,  O  heart,  O  reason?  Knowest  thou  not  that 
love  and  intellect  are  the  same,  one  in  essence, 
in  being,  a  child  of  the  living  God?  Why  wilt 
thou,  O  consciousness,  run  in  search  of  strange 
gods?" 

'  Hard  indeed  for  the  vaguely  theoretical  is  the 
fall  to  the  stern  fact  that  we  have  advanced  no 
further  than  our  actual  conduct  out  here  in  the 
daylight  makes  plain.  Ideas  gain  force  and  gather 
into  efficient  groups  through  the  will,  that  is, 
through  dominance  of  interest.  The  mere  fact 
that  one  entertains  a  belief,  or  holds  a  thought, 
of  itself  signifies  little.  Hence  one  might  cast 
a  thousand  shadowy  thoughts  into  the  dimness 
behind  one's  active  ideas,  yet  find  them  offset 
by  stronger  acts  of  will  or  more  fundamental 
habits.  It  is  what  is  wrought  into  the  structure 
that  avails,  and  this  means  first  of  all  a  matter 
of  will  and  habit.  To  make  my  new  idea  efficient  I 
must  actively  and  persistently  do  something  on 
which  I  may  depend. 

A  conscious  incentive,  on  the  other  hand,  may 
have  real  efficacy.  If  I  cease  to  think  of  myself 
as  dual,  if  I  break  down  artificial  distinctions 
between  subjective  and  objective,  and  rely  upon 
directly  conscious  effort,  I  can  indeed  make  head- 


ii4  Human  Efficiency 

way,  guided  by  an  inspiring  idea.  But  it  is  a 
question  of  ever-increasing  consciousness,  not  of 
the  imprisoning  self-centred  sort,  but  of  the  life 
of  reason.  Hence  there  is  every  reason  to  be 
confident,  strong,  believing  in  success,  hoping 
for  the  best,  since  it  is  the  affirmative  attitude 
that  triumphs,  not  the  weak  attitude  of  resignation. 
Such  belief  should  go  without  saying,  and  it  is 
not  necessary  to  make  the  principles  of  success 
objects  of  special  concern.  What  we  are  really 
supposed  to  be  eager  for  is  success  itself,  hence 
the  more  we  concentrate  on  the  end  the  better. 

Is  there  no  meaning,  then,  in  Mr.  Meyers's 
suggestive  hypothesis  of  the  subliminal  self? 
Certainly,  but  this  is  a  different  hypothesis 
arrived  at  in  connection  with  an  endeavour  to 
explain  hidden  psychic  phenomena.  Here  is  an 
instance  in  point.  A  friend  one  day  called  at  a 
house  to  see  some  one  who  lived  on  the  second 
floor  and  when  half-way  up  the  stairs  unexpectedly 
received  this  impression,  "You  have  lost  your 
watch,  and  if  you  go  out  to  the  sidewalk  at  once 
you  will  find  it  before  any  one  picks  it  up. "  This 
impression,  immediately  verified  by  my  friend, 
came  as  if  spoken  in  the  ear  by  an  onlooker.  A 
spiritualist  would  at  once  say  that  a  spirit  noticing 
the  fall  of  the  watch  told  my  friend.  A  devotee 
of  purely  physiological  explanations  would  doubt- 
less say  that  the  organism  was  somehow  impressed 


The  Subconscious  115 

by  the  event  and  conveyed  this  intelligence  to 
consciousness  as  soon  as  opportunity  occurred, 
just  as  we  are  able  to  recall  faces  or  objects  in  a 
shop  window  after  we  have  passed  by  and  have 
merely  the  visual  memories  to  depend  on.  Psy- 
chologically it  should  not  seem  at  all  strange  that 
we  address  ourselves  when  receiving  such  informa- 
tion as  came  to  my  friend,  for  we  often  converse 
vtith  ourselves,  and  descend  with  severe  invectives 
on  our  lower  nature.  Whether  or  not  an  attendant 
spirit  actually  whispers  words  of  warning,  the 
significant  feature  of  the  experience  is  that  an 
up-rush  from  a  lower  level  makes  us  aware  of 
experiences  through  which  we  have  just  passed 
and  to  which  we  were  not  paying  attention.  We 
infer  the  larger  capacity  of  the  mind  from  these 
its  deliverances.  In  the  same  way  we  find  our- 
selves responding  to  instinct,  and  on  occasion 
pain  or  fear  may  give  information  concerning 
the  state  of  the  organism  in  such  a  way  as  to  show 
that  on  the  physical  level,  also,  we  receive  impres- 
sions of  importance.  In  the  case  of  these  prompt- 
ings in  regard  to  physical  welfare  we  know  from 
wisely  analysed  experience  that  everything  depends 
on  the  explanation  which  we  attach  to  the  given 
impression. 

No  doubt  the  hypothesis  of  the  subliminal  phase 
of  our  selfhood  is  extremely  workable  in  wise 
hands.  The  theory  that  our  selfhood  is  deeper 


n6  Human  Efficiency 

or  larger  than  the  field  of  awareness  of  the  con- 
scious moment  affords  a  highly  satisfactory  way 
of  describing  and  explaining  the  common  element 
in  many  spiritual  experiences.  This  hypothesis 
throws  light  on  mysticism,  for  example,  and  on  all 
beliefs  that  start  with  the  premise  that  the  soul 
is  in  immediate  relation  with  a  higher  order  of 
being.  What  we  know  is  not  the  actual  contact 
of  the  self  with  higher  forms  of  reality  but  the 
report  that  is  made  when  the  experience  which 
ensues  quickens  us  in  some  fashion,  or  reveals  new 
insights.  It  is  convenient  to  have  a  theory  con- 
cerning the  interior  relationships  which  make  such 
contact  possible.  No  doubt  we  should  cherish 
the  belief  that  we  are  near  heaven  through  these 
contacts,  as  well  as  in  our  moral  triumphs,  when 
we  serve,  and  when  we  valiantly  reason.  But 
even  granted  that  angels  minister  unto  us  through 
these  interior  channels,  the  first  consideration 
will  be  the  principle  which  enables  us  to  discern 
angelic  presences  and  to  know  their  wisdom  by  its 
fruits,  in  contrast  with  lesser  spirits  and  their 
utterances.  To  possess  such  a  principle  would  be 
to  know  many  things  uncommonly  well.  That  is, 
the  clue  would  be  found  in  consciousness,  not  in 
subconsciousness. 

If  one  should  attribute  superior  powers  to  the 
subliminal  portion  of  one's  being  but  have  no 
standard  by  which  to  judge  the  products  of  this 


The  Subconscious  117 

hidden  activity,  one  might  easily  open  the  door 
to  all  sorts  of  inner  experiences,  developing  new 
forms  of  fear  and  bondage.  But  see  plainly  that 
the  conscious  attitude  is  the  decisive  factor  and 
you  at  once  realise  that  you  have  naught  to  fear. 
For  you  will  not  be  open  subliminally  to  any  in- 
fluence which  you  would  not  consciously  welcome, 
your  character  will  be  the  decisive  power.  If 
itideed  you  find  yourself  in  any  way  open  to 
undesirable  visions,  presences,  or  utterances,  your 
resource  will  be  to  deal  directly  with  conscious- 
ness, namely,  by  becoming  more  sane,  making 
sure  that  you  have  a  sound  mind  in  a  healthy 
body.  It  would  be  unfortunate  to  entertain  any 
belief  regarding  your  subliminal  life  which  appears 
to  put  it  beyond  your  power  or  make  out  that  it  is 
superior. 

Our  investigation  is  steadily  proving  that  we 
know  nothing  whatever  in  regard  to  what  lies 
below  the  threshold  of  consciousness  except  so 
far  as  activities  emerge  into  consciousness.  Thus 
strictly  confined  to  experience,  we  may  well 
undertake  to  know  experience  to  the  foundation. 
If  we  continue  to  believe  in  higher  sources  of  im- 
pressions than  our  physical  senses  the  probability 
is  that  we  will  be  more  and  more  concerned  with 
the  rational  forms  in  which  enlightened  conscious- 
ness recasts  the  information  thus  received.  In 
the  case  of  conscience,  for  example,  we  well  know 


ii8  Human  Efficiency 

what  a  transformation  has  taken  place  in  our 
thought  since  the  days  of  childhood.  Once  con- 
science was  an  authoritative  voice  heard  within, 
then  a  feeling  in  regard  to  the  right,  later  a  moral 
sense  through  which  we  could  by  earnest  effort 
discern  the  right,  later  still  an  experience  which 
checked  us  when  about  to  do  wrong  but  one  that 
was  extremely  difficult  to  obtain  when  we  wished 
to  know  what  was  right.  Now  in  our  rational 
days  conscience  is  wholly  intellectual,  a  mode  of 
reflection  by  which  we  weigh  alternatives,  seek 
to  make  a  moral  choice,  but  which  still  leaves 
us  sufficiently  in  the  dark  so  that  an  act  of 
faith  is  required.  We  put  far  more  emphasis 
upon  knowledge  of  the  world  than  upon  any 
sentiment  which  we  may  arouse.  To  be  conscien- 
tious is  to  be  rational,  self-consistent,  and  this 
implies  an  ideal  of  self-realisation  which  did  not  by 
any  means  come  through  feeling  or  even  by  way 
of  intuition.  In  a  similar  manner  we  are  all  the 
time  advancing  into  more  explicit  types  of  con- 
sciousness. We  esteem  the  ability  to  meet  new 
situations,  or  react  on  new  data,  above  the  ability 
to  retain  uncritical  receptivity.  This  growth  is  in 
perfect  keeping  with  an  open-mindedness  which 
on  occasion  may  equal  that  of  the  child.  In  the 
same  way  we  may  continue  to  be  responsive  to 
those  insensibly  gathering  convictions  through 
which  experience  teaches  us  the  lessons  of  life, 


The  Subconscious  119 

just  as  we  yield  to  the  deepening  affections  which 
mean  more  to  us  as  life  advances.  If  deeply 
interested  in  the  great  issues  of  life  we  are  likely 
to  maintain  a  sort  of  inner  reflectiveness  which 
goes  on  almost  without  interruption  whenever 
we  are  awake.  This  process  of  meditation  is  the 
only  one  really  worth  while,  for  it  yields  ideas, 
it  advances  from  hour  to  hour.  At  any  time 
we  may  expect  important  fruitions  from  this  philo- 
sophic reaction,  and  we  should  not  be  surprised 
if  we  sometimes  find  ourselves  writing  or  speaking 
in  combinations  of  ideas  that  seem  wholly  new, 
even  though  we  utter  propositions  which  we  never 
consciously  acquired.  These  are  not  miraculous 
products,  they  need  not  come  from  an  objective 
source.  Say  rather  that  they  express  the  best 
activity  of  the  self,  less  conscious  in  the  case  of 
most  of  us,  but  capable  of  becoming  analysably 
conscious  in  the  case  of  those  who  acutely  know 
their  own  processes. 

Our  investigation  has  shown  us  how  to  classify 
the  facts  in  question  in  such  a  way  as  to  avoid 
sundering  the  mind  into  compartments.  It  would 
be  difficult  to  know  where  to  stop  if  we  should 
adopt  the  hypothesis  that  there  is  more  than  one 
mind.  For  why  should  we  stop  with  the  sub- 
conscious mind?  Why  not  with  as  good  reason 
contend  that  we  have  a  superconscious  mind,  a 
mind  that  communes  with  heavenly  realities? 


120  Human  Efficiency 

Then,  too,  we  would  have  as  many  minds  as  the  di- 
versities of  character  reveal,  a  mind  of  the  spirit 
and  a  mind  of  the  flesh,  a  Dr.  Jekyll  and  a  Mr. 
Hyde.  Far  more  intelligible  is  the  theory  that  in 
our  moods  and  contrasted  states  of  character  we  are 
only  displaying  a  part  of  our  nature;  that  in  the 
case  of  those  who  wander  off  and  forget  who  they 
were,  assuming  another  name,  we  have  instances 
of  split-off  phases  of  consciousness.  The  moral  is, 
not  to  make  the  most  of  our  moods  and  split-off 
mentalities,  but  to  unify  the  better  into  a  consist- 
ent character,  and  permit  the  less  desirable  to 
die  through  lack  of  attention.  Unification  is  a 
conscious  process,  not  a  subconscious,  it  is  an  act 
of  will,  not  of  surrender. 

Strictly  speaking,  that  which  has  not  yet  entered 
consciousness  is  unconscious.  Hence  our  inquiry 
leaves  room  for  the  unconscious  processes,  espe- 
cially of  the  brain,  which  go  on  even  while  we  sleep 
and  through  which  habits  such  as  swimming  and 
bicycle-riding  become  parts  of  our  organism. 
When  we  awaken  in  the  morning  and  find  problems 
solved,  written  out  on  paper,  but  with  no  recollec- 
tion on  our  part  that  we  arose  in  the  night  to  write 
the  solution,  we  may  infer  what  has  taken  place  by 
what  we  thus  find  as  a  result.  In  the  same  way  we 
know  that  we  search  through  the  memory  for 
hours  in  quest  of  a  lost  name,  and  then  find  it 
suddenly  rising  into  the  field  of  consciousness. 


The  Subconscious  121 

We  are  all  the  time  experiencing  the  benefits  of 
the  activities  which  we  set  in  motion  sometime 
before.  There  was  motion  or  consciousness  at  the 
beginning.  There  is  a  fruition  with  consciousness 
at  the  end.  The  missing  factors  we  make  good  by 
descriptive  inferences. 

Starting  with  the  level  of  the  involuntary  pro- 
cesses of  the  body,  we  rise  to  that  of  unconscious 
cerebration,  to  the  less-conscious,  the  more-con- 
scious, and  the  self-conscious.  Descending,  we 
find  that  the  idea  which  has  elicited  attention 
becomes  a  less-conscious  direction  of  mind,  then 
produces  subconscious  after-effects.  The  sub- 
conscious is  not  a  separate  mind,  working  by  other 
laws,  but  is  an  after-effect  which  carries  out  the 
interests  of  consciousness;  co-ordinates,  reshapes, 
then  displays  its  results  when  the  activity  in  ques- 
tion again  rises  into  consciousness.  The  subliminal 
is  not  a  distinct  self,  but  is  a  less-conscious  phase 
of  a  single  selfhood,  too  copious  to  be  wholly 
displayed  at  one  time.  Our  most  direct  clue  is 
found,  not  in  dependence  on  the  subconscious  as 
if  it  were  king,  but  in  emphasis  on  the  play  of 
thought  which  centres  about  a  selected  idea.  I 
may  indeed  rely  upon  my  subconsciousness  to 
outwit  habits  and  traits  of  character  that  are 
undesirable,  but  only  in  case  I  have  already  willed 
to  separate  these  from  the  person  I  choose  to  be. 
Thus  our  conclusions  support  all  methods  that 


122  Human  Efficiency 

have  really  proved  efficacious  by  centring  the  in- 
terest upon  the  stream  of  thought.  The  significant 
feature  of  the  relationship  between  the  various 
levels  and  tendencies  of  consciousness  is  found 
rather  in  the  sources  and  the  goals  than  in  the  mere 
fact  of  being  underneath  or  above.  Consciousness, 
we  have  learned,  is  exceedingly  complex,  and  really 
to  be  conscious  in  an  active  sense  is  an  attainment. 
Let  us  review  the  important  considerations. 

In  this  mental  stream  are  contained  all  the  pro- 
cesses and  functions  which  in  former  days  were 
attributed  to  faculties  and  powers.  Thus  we  learn 
what  we  are  through  what  we  find  ourselves  doing. 
To-day  you  start  out  with  new  resolutions  antici- 
pating a  day  of  calmness  during  which  nothing 
shall  disturb  your  composure  or  render  you  impa- 
tient. But  suddenly  brought  face  to  face  with  a 
new  situation  you  are  greatly  disturbed,  and  al- 
most before  you  are  aware  you  find  yourself  giv- 
ing voice  to  impatience,  vexed,  and  disconcerted. 
Presently  you  regain  composure  and  experience 
chagrin  that  you  did  not  maintain  your  good 
resolution.  By  inference  you  know  that  the  phase 
of  your  inner  life  which  you  call  your  lower  nature 
was  stronger  than  you  thought,  hence  your  efforts 
must  be  redoubled  if  the  ideal  shall  triumph.  The 
whole  of  life  is  such  an  emergence  into  conscious- 
ness of  tendencies  within  the  self  until  at  last  we 
have  been  touched  on  all  sides.  If  you  are  wise  you 


The  Subconscious  123 

will  not  call  this  hateful  mood  yourself,  but  will 
deem  it  a  half -spent  phase  of  the  being  you  once 
were.  You  wish  to  create  yourself  anew  in  wiser 
fashion  so  that  the  ideals  of  to-day  shall  constitute 
the  habitual  self  of  to-morrow.  Thus  you  endeavour 
to  outwit  your  own  consciousness  by  giving  your 
activity  more  resolutely  to  the  ideal,  refusing  to 
own  these  miserable  moods  and  emotions  through 
•vfhich  you  betray  fear,  anger,  jealousy,  resentment, 
and  the  like.  Really  to  know  yourself  is  to  know 
what  tendencies  are  likely  to  emerge  in  the  pres- 
ence of  any  possible  situation,  the  worst  phase  of 
selfishness  you  are  likely  to  display,  the  meanest 
sentiment,  the  most  absurd  fancy  or  fear,  the 
shallowest  intellectual  reaction.  To  know  this  is 
to  be  primed,  in  part  at  least,  to  meet  and  to  check 
all  these  undesirable  elements  of  your  selfhood. 
That  is,  you  endeavour  to  trace  the  stream  back 
to  its  source. 

This,  however,  is  only  one  half  the  process. 
For  if  you  would  withdraw  the  forces  of  life  from 
one  channel  you  must  build  another,  outwitting 
your  unruliness  by  transmutation.  It  is  matter 
of  great  encouragement  to  know  that  the  attitude 
of  mind  which  we  calmly  and  confidently  adopt 
to-day,  while  reflectively  dwelling  upon  an  ideal, 
will  bring  consequences  in  the  days  that  succeed. 
That  is,  we  may  place  great  reliance  on  the  brood- 
ing reflectiveness  of  which  I  have  spoken,  depend- 


124  Human  Efficiency 

ing  on  the  fact  that  the  idea  which  we  make  part 
and  parcel  of  ourselves  will  work  within  us  even 
though  we  are  not  steadily  thinking  about  it. 
Furthermore,  we  have  seen  that  our  mental  life 
reveals  favourable  junctures,  opportunities  for  tak- 
ing the  current  when  it  serves.  These  spontane- 
ous developments  are  as  likely  to  put  favouring 
currents  within  our  grasp  as  any  process  which  we 
consciously  command. 

May  we  not  also  believe  that  this  stream  of 
life  unceasingly  coursing  through  us  flows  in  part 
from  the  divinest  source,  that  it  contains  prompt- 
ings from  the  divine  mind  and  heart?  For  surely 
we  have  experiences  when,  instead  of  being 
immersed  in  the  stream  we  are  lifted  above  it, 
breaking  free  into  the  boundless  atmosphere  that 
rests  upon  us,  reaching  skyward.  Carefully  qual- 
ifying here  as  in  the  case  of  all  that  lies  below  the 
level  of  rational  consciousness,  we  may  well  find 
value  in  the  type  of  thought  sometimes  known  as 
cosmic  consciousness  or  mystic  enlightenment.  Our 
world-view  need  not  be  so  diffused  as  to  embrace 
the  entire  cosmos,  nor  need  our  super-conscious- 
ness lead  to  the  ecstasy  or  trance  of  the  Orientals. 
It  is  rather  a  question  of  moderate  enlightenment, 
of  a  beatific  vision  dispersed  along  the  line  of 
philosophic  assimilation.  For  who  cares  to  enter- 
tain a  vision  which  leaves  us  no  whit  farther  on 
save  that  we  possess  a  beautiful  memory? 


The  Subconscious  125 

Is  this  tampering  with  the  secrets  of  life,  do  you 
say,  and  should  we  yield  ourselves  in  reverent 
ecstasy?  One  is  more  inclined  to  say  that  the 
whole  matter  is  one  of  control.  For  the  spiritualist 
medium,  possessing  weak  powers  of  inhibition,  the 
subliminal  world  is  of  course  exceedingly  capacious. 
With  the  growth  of  intelligence  scepticism  inevi- 
tably enters,  hence  the  realm  of  the  occult  grows 
eier  smaller.  The  development  of  individuality 
as  inevitably  narrows  the  field  of  our  overconscious- 
ness.  All  that  was  real  is  still  with  us,  we  have  lost 
nothing.  But  the  supernatural  has  ceased  to 
exist,  the  mysterious  has  faded  from  view.  Instead, 
we  have  just  the  plain  human  self  in  its  integrity, 
facing  the  familiar  landscape  of  daily  life.  The 
same  stream  of  sensations,  emotions,  feelings, 
volitions,  and  ideas,  courses  through  us,  but 
how  different  it  appears ! 

By  saying  that  the  whole  matter  is  essentially 
one  of  control  I  mean  that  we  may  have  more 
control  of  our  brains,  and  our  mental  powers  in 
general.  A  well-ordered  brain,  trained  in  directions 
that  are  worth  while,  such  as  skilled  performance 
on  a  musical  instrument,  in  public  speaking,  in  the 
economical  use  of  energy,  means  on  the  physical 
side  freedom  from  any  number  of  annoyances, 
misconceptions,  and  hindrances.  It  means  the 
subsiding  of  sensuous  processes,  of  most  of  the 
emotions,  all  ecstasy  and  impatience.  It  means 


126  Human  Efficiency 

that  more  activities  have  been  given  over  to  well- 
acquired  habits.  Hence  the  active  consciousness 
is  more  free  to  yield  itself  to  reflective  participa- 
tion in  life  that  is  worth  while. 

It  is  no  discredit,  therefore,  that  we  are  chiefly 
concerned  with  daily  interests  in  this  natural  world. 
Here  within  us,  as  we  enter  the  activities  of  the 
new  day,  is  this  marvellous  stream  which  we  call 
consciousness  with  its  vital  current  ever  carrying 
us  on,  and  this  is  the  great  possession.  Whenever 
we  know  not  what  to  do  we  may  pause  in  expect- 
ant reflectiveness,  giving  our  excitements  oppor- 
tunity to  subside,  letting  our  nervous  frictions 
cease,  resting  from  the  process  of  fearing  and 
striving.  There  is  always  something  in  process 
that  really  is  significant,  some  aspiration  that  has 
not  lost  force,  some  purpose  that  is  achieving 
fulfilment.  We  may  at  least  move  forward  with 
this  process,  waiting  to  see  whither  it  leads.  Here, 
in  deepest  truth,  is  one  of  the  great  secrets  of  life : 
we  become,  we  achieve,  by  giving  this  growing 
self  opportunity  to  become  complete  amidst  the 
activities  which  are  steadily  developing  it.  Life 
itself  is  a  developing  power,  even  if  we  seldom 
think.  It  will  do  more  for  us  if  we  take  our  clues 
from  its  tendencies  and  laws  rather  than  from  any 
theory  or  interest  of  our  own.  We  are  dealing 
with  life,  not  with  rigid  forms,  hence  we  have 
discarded  the  artificial  distinctions  which  separate 


The  Subconscious  127 

objective  and  subjective,  lower  and  higher,  the 
self  above  and  below  the  threshold.  Bundles  of 
tendencies  we  surely  are,  creatures  of  habit  and 
emotion,  as  different  at  times  as  if  another  person 
had  gained  control,  so  that  multiple  personality 
and  insanity  are  simply  exaggerations  of  states 
which  we  have  all  known  in  a  measure.  But  the 
rational  way  to  think  is  with  reference  to  the  con- 
sistent, ideal  self  we  will  to  become,  the  self  which 
life  is  ready  to  develop  in  us.  When  we  have  dis- 
carded the  last  notion  of  mere  fixity,  when  we  have 
pulled  down  the  last  fence  of  aristocratic  exclusive- 
ness  and  given  up  all  crystallised  beliefs,  we  shall 
find  ourselves  in  an  attitude  to  enter  into  the  full 
joys  of  life.  Life  is  a  stream  changing  from  moment 
to  moment  even  while  we  think  and  feel.  What  is 
real  and  true  is  real  and  true  now,  for  you  and  me. 
If  it  give  back  to  us  all  that  we  have  passed 
through,  so  that  we  cannot  escape  the  reactions  of 
our  own  folly,  it  also  effaces,  uplifts,  and  trans- 
forms, each  moment  offering  new  opportunities  to 
be  loving,  to  be  considerate,  and  to  be  wise. 


CHAPTER  VI 

OUR  ENERGIES  AND  THEIR  CONTROL 

WE  are  now  in  a  position  to  consider  a  subject 
of  vital  import  which  has  been  in  sight 
from  the  first,  the  nature  and  conservation  of  our 
energies.  The  principle  of  efficiency,  we  have  seen, 
tends  to  assume  quantitative  forms  at  first, 
through  the  dominance  of  commercial  standards, 
and  because  of  the  use  of  methods  involving  the 
economical  use  of  time.  This  tendency,  carried  to 
the  extreme,  would  make  of  every  man  a  machine 
for  the  production  of  the  greatest  amount  of  good 
work  in  the  shortest  time.  To  permit  this  ten- 
dency to  rule  would  involve  the  surrender  of  the 
higher  interests  of  human  life,  and  man  would 
cease  to  be  human.  Education  in  the  larger 
sense,  for  example,  would  be  impossible,  since 
the  aim  would  be  to  turn  even  the  little  child's 
energies  into  use  from  the  first  year,  to  permit  no 
part  of  its  life  to  lie  fallow,  to  put  it  through  all 
the  disciplines  as  early  as  possible,  and  to  intro- 
duce schedules  of  efficiency  at  every  point.  The 
result  would  be  even  in  a  single  generation  the 

128 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     129 

submergence  of  the  life  of  play,  the  imprisonment 
of  spontaneity,  and  the  eventual  crushing  of  the 
freer  life  of  the  soul.  Hence  we  must  sound  these 
matters  to  the  end  to  know  what  is  reasonable. 

Efficiency  as  we  have  regarded  it  in  the  preced- 
ing pages  implies  the  best  use  of  all  our  powers  so 
far  as  may  be  consistent  with  the  steady  pursuit 
of  one  interest,  vocation,  or  profession,  to  which 
wfc  give  ourselves  for  the  sake  of  being  genuinely 
practical,  human.  The  end  is  self-realisation,  the 
contribution  of  our  share  to  the  world's  work, 
to  the  arts  or  the  sciences.  Hence  self-coercive- 
ness  should  no  more  rule  than  the  coercion  of 
authority.  The  right  to  live,  to  express,  is  inalien- 
able, sacred.  The  human  organism  is  an  instrument 
for  the  realisation  of  this  moral  ideal.  Mind  and 
body  move  along  together.  Therefore  we  cannot 
expect  to  make  satisfactory  headway  unless  we 
take  them  both  into  full  account.  Control  at  the 
centre,  mental  efficiency,  is  the  ideal  and  the 
means  whereby  moral  efficiency  may  be  secured. 

He  who  realises  the  full  significance  of  this 
standard  has  already  solved  the  problem  of  the 
right  use  of  energy.  But  most  of  us  need  to  con- 
sider the  question  in  detail.  We  are  either  likely 
to  err  by  making  too  much  of  the  mind  without 
adequate  development  of  the  body,  or  by  ignoring 
the  mind  under  the  assumption  that  it  is  merely 
a  question  of  physical  vitality.  The  problem  is 


130  Human  Efficiency 

the  more  serious  in  our  time  because  of  attempts 
in  various  quarters  to  make  the  utmost  of  the  law 
of  hidden  reserves,  hence  to  draw  upon  the  supplies 
of  energy  to  the  full.  Our  best  approach  to  the 
subject  is  in  terms  of  a  recent  discussion  which 
raises  the  issues  afresh. 

In  a  widely  read  article  by  Professor  James  on 
''The  Energies  of  Men,"  in  the  American  Maga- 
zine, attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that  there 
are  various  levels  of  energy,  and  times  when  the 
amount  of  energy  available  is  greater,  while  at  other 
times  one  appears  to  be  cut  off  from  the  sources. 
Closely  connected  with  these  fluctuations  of  energy 
are  the  inhibitions  which  check  our  energy  in  many 
ways.  We  are  restrained,  for  example,  by  literality 
and  decorum,  and  so  hedged  in  that  we  are  unable 
to  attain  fulness  of  self-expression.  It  is  plain  that 
there  are  reservoirs  of  energy  not  habitually  tapped. 
That  these  hidden  reserves  exist  we  know  from  the 
fact  that  at  times  we  gain  our  "second  wind," 
hence  we  are  able  to  press  on  and  work  even  after 
becoming  decidedly  fatigued.  Again,  we  accom- 
plish a  great  deal  under  excitement,  or  unusual  cir- 
cumstances. The  inference  is  that  if  we  possessed 
spontaneity  or  self-abandonment  we  might  fre- 
quently draw  on  our  hidden  resources. 

One  would  naturally  infer  that  instead  of 
yielding  to  fatigue  and  nervous  exhaustion  one 
should  brea,k  into  the  hidden  reserves,  putting 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     131 

forth  more  activity  instead  of  less,  depending 
on  increase  of  work  rather  than  on  the  usual 
methods  of  rest  and  recuperation.  It  then  becomes 
a  question  of  ways  and  means.  Let  us,  however, 
examine  the  matter  carefully,  for  there  is  danger 
that  those  who  do  not  understand  the  laws  and 
conditions  in  question  may  overdraw  their  supply 
of  energy  by  getting  their  second  wind  when  rest 
is  imperative.  It  by  no  means  follows  that, 
because  some  have  done  an  exceptional  amount 
of  work  during  excitement,  therefore  every  one 
may  safely  do  likewise.  Those  who  effectively 
draw  on  their  reserves  doubtless  have  excellent 
reserves  of  nervous  and  physical  energy  on  which  to 
draw.  But  there  are  people  who  have  no  resources. 
It  is  precisely  because  many  people  have  drawn 
on  their  reserves  without  limit  that  they  now  find 
themselves  nervous  wrecks.  Hence  to  advise 
without  careful  qualification  would  be  serious. 
Take  the  case  of  a  young  woman  who  was 
nervously  depleted  after  several  years  of  exces- 
sive work  in  the  musical  profession,  who  had 
become  so  nervous  that  she  could  not  sleep,  and 
was  haunted  by  the  idea  that  she  would  never 
be  able  to  sleep  again.  In  obvious  need  of  rest 
and  deeper  knowledge  of  her  powers,  she  was 
urged  to  press  on,  but  was  first  given  a  drug  to 
produce  sleep.  The  effect  of  the  drug  was  to 
deaden  her  sensibilities,  hence  to  remove  her  a 


132  Human  Efficiency 

stage  farther  from  awareness  of  her  real  physical 
and  nervous  condition.  A  little  wisdom  would 
have  shown  that  she  should  have  been  brought, 
after  a  period  of  complete  rest,  into  acquaintance 
with  her  actual  resources.  She  had  no  reserves 
on  which  to  draw,  and  was  most  unwise  in  the 
use  of  the  little  energy  remaining  after  years  of 
gradual  exhaustion.  To  stimulate  her  sensibili- 
ties would  have  been  to  make  the  mistake  so  many 
fall  into  when,  weak  and  exhausted,  they  drink 
strong  coffee,  and  apparently  possess  more  en- 
ergy than  before.  Any  one  who  wishes  to  try  this 
experiment  will  learn  that  in  due  time  nature 
exacts  full  penalty.  Sooner  or  later  we  must 
know  precisely  what  amount  of  energy  nature 
has  put  into  our  hands  at  a  given  time,  all 
illusions  due  to  over-stimulation  having  been 
overcome. 

It  requires  little  knowledge  to  show  that  each 
must  take  these  matters  into  his  own  hands.  If  I 
have  been  in  the  habit  of  taking  long  walks  into 
the  country,  I  may  well  take  advantage  of  my 
"second  wind"  and  walk  five,  ten,  even  fifteen 
miles  after  I  am  weary;  since  my  organism, well 
trained  in  that  sort  of  exercise,  may  not  be  brought 
into  full  activity  until  I  have  passed  beyond  the 
initial  fatigue.  The  next  day  I  may  be  aware  of 
no  ill-effects,  and  in  a  few  days  may  be  able  to 
repeat  the  performance.  So  in  many  kinds  of 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     133 

work  in  which  people  regularly  engage  it  may  be 
possible  to  continue  day  after  day  turning  off  an 
exceptional  amount  of  work  without  any  undesir- 
able result.  This  should  be  true  of  all  whose 
powers  are  trained  to  work  systematically  especi- 
ally those  who  are  happy  in  their  work.  The 
normal  individual  ought  to  be  able  to  labour  a 
goodly  number  of  hours  without  being  made 
unpleasantly  conscious  of  his  organism. 

Yet  as  matters  stand  normal  individuals  are  not 
numerous.  The  majority  are  compelled  to  give 
attention  to  the  state  of  the  body.  Such  prudence 
may,  however,  be  a  means  to  a  higher  end.  The 
better  we  know  the  organism  the  wiser  we  should 
be  concerning  the  use  of  the  energy  at  hand.  If  we 
keep  close  to  nature  we  ought  to  have  abundant 
evidence  of  nature's  guidance.  To-day,  for  ex- 
ample, I  may  go  into  my  study  expecting  to  write 
as  usual  but  instead  find  myself  turning  to  the 
book-shelves  and  idly  browsing.  By  the  instinc- 
tive actions  which  thus  reveal  themselves  I  learn 
that  the  organism  is  not  in  full  vigour  and  requires 
a  lighter  form  of  work.  I  could  by  sheer  force  of 
will  go  to  my  desk  and  write,  but  my  writing  would 
be  of  an  inferior  sort,  and  I  should  pay  a  high 
price  for  the  product.  Another  day  I  awaken  with 
zest  and  everything  I  touch  turns  to  gold.  An 
examination  of  my  organism  would  show  that  it  is 
in  prime  condition,  hence  nature  does  not  check 


134  Human  Efficiency 

my  activities  at  any  point.  Do  I  draw  on  hidden 
reserves  on  such  a  day?  No,  I  merely  use  the 
ordinary  supply  of  vitality,  out  in  the  daylight  of 
normal  activity. 

Likewise  in  regard  to  education,  everything 
depends  on  our  knowledge  of  the  factors  which 
affect  the  whole  individual.  It  needs  no  argument 
to  show  that  there  is  enormous  waste  of  power  in 
education  as  ordinarily  pursued,  indeed  human 
life  as  a  whole  is  characterised  by  waste  and  ex- 
travagance. Hence  to  secure  wiser  and  better  de- 
veloped teachers  who  shall  be  splendid  examples 
of  what  they  teach  we  must  begin  farther  back 
with  the  question  of  energy  as  a  human  problem. 
It  is  possible  by  responding  to  every  question  a 
child  asks,  by  giving  its  young  mind  no  oppor- 
tunity to  lie  fallow,  and  by  encouraging  curiosity 
at  every  point,  to  put  the  child  rapidly  through 
the  usual  processes  of  education.  But  unless  due 
attention  be  given  to  each  of  nature's  demands 
for  rest,  change,  play,  and  the  spontaneous  life 
in  general,  it  is  easy  to  coerce,  hence  to  ruin  the 
child. 

Our  first  point  is  that  nature  is  the  safest  guide, 
hence  what  is  needed  is  profounder  knowledge  of 
nature's  powers  and  their  wise  use.  Whatever 
energy  I  possess  and  may  safely  use  is  relatively 
near  the  surface;  its  presence,  character,  and 
amount  are  indicated  by  nature's  promptings, 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     135 

prohibitions,  and  warnings,  by  signs  which  every 
one  should  be  able  to  read  who  really  understands 
his  body.  If  able  to  do  a  great  amount  of  brain- 
work  and  drive  ahead  of  my  fellows,  I  must  already 
have  a  brain  of  large  capacity  and  power.  On 
merely  general  principles  no  one  can  safely  draw 
upon  energies  that  are  not  plainly  apparent.  What 
is  desirable  is  a  state  of  mind  and  body  which  can 
b$  steadily  maintained  through  mutual  adjust- 
ment between  physical  forces  and  mental  powers. 

That  there  is  enormous  waste  of  energy  in  the 
human  organism  is  a  fact  to  be  considered  by  itself 
before  we  set  out  in  quest  of  hidden  reserves.  Only 
by  more  advantageously  employing  the  energy  at 
hand  can  we  expect  to  conserve  and  organise 
that  which  is  wasted.  Ordinarily  there  is  power 
enough,  and  we  need  not  endeavour  to  rise  to  a 
higher  level  of  energy.  The  men  and  women  round 
about  us  who  are  distancing  us  because  of  their 
efficiency  are  patient  workers  who  long  ago  settled 
down  to  mastery,  who  make  good  use  of  their 
gifts  according  to  their  capacity,  depending  on 
habits  of  interior  control,  that  is,  on  the  normal 
powers  of  man. 

Our  first  promising  discovery  is  likely  to  relate 
to  the  nervous  system,  since  it  is  right  use  of 
nervous  energy  which  underlies  mental  efficiency. 
Without  doubt  the  nervous  system  is  capable  of 
far  more  work  than  we  usually  get  from  it.  As  Dr. 


136  Human  Efficiency 

F.  S.  Lee  has  recently  said,  the  nervous  system  is 

not  the  frail,  delicate  thing  easily  put  out  of  gear, 
that  we  at  times  believe  it  to  be.  It  is  capable  of 
enormous  demands  on  its  powers  and  of  enormous 
resistance.  It  is  the  last  system  to  succumb  in  many 
diseases  and  in  such  a  dire  condition  as  starvation. 
It  would  seem  to  be  only  highly  advantageous  to  the 
organism  that  its  nervous  system  should  be  able  to 
resist  the  oncoming  of  fatigue,  with  all  the  direful 
consequences  that  might  follow  its  advent.  Hence 
the  second  stage  of  working  power  may  well  be  the 
more  efficient  stage,  and  those  who  know  how  to  make 
rightful  use  of  it  may  in  part  owe  their  superior 
achievements  to  it.  On  the  other  hand,  those  who 
habitually  energise  below  their  maximum  may  be 
victims  of  inferior  habits. ' 

Yet,  whatever  the  real  or  apparent  power  of  the 
nervous  system,  it  is  primarily  a  question  of  the 
individual  who  makes  full  use  of  his  powers,  or 
habitually  behaves  below  his  highest  point  of 
activity,  as  the  case  may  be.  To  make  good  use  of 
our  powers  we  must  engage  in  a  work  which  we 
believe  worth  while.  Granted  an  inspiriting  ideal 
which  calls  the  best  from  the  self,  the  question  is, 
Where  shall  one  begin  in  the  effort  to  master  the 
energies  of  the  organism  and  employ  them  to 
advantage? 

Whatever  the  degree  of  development,  the  start- 

1  Popular  Science  Monthly,  Feb.,  1910. 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     137 

ing-point  is  with  the  fact  that  we  ordinarily  possess 
sufficient  vitality  to  carry  us  successfully  through 
the  day,  and  that  if  this  be  inadequate  it  is  because 
there  is  waste  of  energy  in  our  habits  of  work,  in 
the  way  we  eat,  sleep,  take  recreation  and  exer- 
cise. Shall  we  first  increase  the  supply  of  energy 
by  lying  fallow,  waiting  for  power  to  come  where- 
with to  control  what  is  already  in  exercise?  This 
may  be  necessary  if  we  are  nervously  exhausted, 
but  under  other  conditions  it  would  be  like  waiting 
to  become  unselfish  before  we  begin  to  do  good  in 
the  world.  The  use  of  energy  is  learned  through 
action,  for  actual  use  ought  to  show  wherein  we 
may  wisely  accelerate  our  speed,  increase  emphasis, 
or  slacken  our  pace  and  lessen  the  intensity.  We 
may  infer  from  the  fact  that  we  have  enjoyed  a 
restful  sleep  that  there  was  appropriate  responsive- 
ness to  nature,  whereas  to  awaken  fatigued  is  to 
learn  that  nervous  tension  has  gone  before.  Again, 
we  learn  by  catching  ourselves  in  the  act  of  rush- 
ing, by  slackening  speed  then  and  there,  moderately 
and  advantageously  using  the  energy  which  other- 
wise would  have  run  riot.  A  new  joy  comes  into 
life  with  the  growth  of  equanimity,  and  with  this 
joy  an  impetus  towards  still  more  fruitful  action. 
Success  really  comes  through  concentration  on  a 
single  mode  of  activity  at  a  time,  since  a  merely 
general  advance  counts  for  little.  To  master  one 
habit,  preferably  the  one  involved  in  the  most 


138  Human  Efficiency 

wasteful  form  of  activity,  is  to  acquire  power  that 
can  be  brought  into  play  in  other  directions. 

Every  one  is  supposed  to  know  that  if  we  work 
while  we  work,  and  rest  while  we  rest,  making  an 
art  of  it,  we  enjoy  the  most  beneficial  results.  If 
we  have  serious  problems  in  mind,  we  know  how 
important  it  is  to  dismiss  them  when  we  lie  down 
for  the  night,  while  we  eat,  and  when  we  take  our 
daily  exercise.  If  we  would  think  to  advantage  we 
know  the  value  of  quiet  solitude,  corrected  by  sub- 
sequent contact  with  our  fellows.  By  living  in  the 
present  in  contrast  with  the  anxiously  anticipated 
future,  or  the  regretted  past,  we  gain  many  of  the 
advantages  of  concentration.  We  know,  too,  the 
importance  of  observing  regular  times  and  seasons 
for  work,  rest,  and  recreation,  including  the  summer 
in  the  country  and  the  occasional  year's  change  in 
the  form  of  work.  To  observe  the  regularity  that 
aids  without  enslaving,  every  one  finds  it  necessary 
to  cut  off  social  engagements  here  and  there,  keep 
good  hours,  and  find  a  form  of  exercise  that  really 
brings  refreshment. 

In  contrast  with  the  well-ordered  life,  it  is 
interesting  to  note  what  strenuous  exertions  are 
put  forth  by  some  people  to  have  what  is  called 
"a  good  time."  Observe  the  average  family,  for 
instance,  on  its  way  to  and  from  a  day's  excursion 
into  the  country  by  boat  or  rail,  and  note  all  the 
preparations  that  are  required,  the  hardships  that 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     139 

are  encountered  in  crowds,  waiting  for  cars,  stand- 
ing in  line — to  say  nothing  of  the  supposed  joys  of 
the  actual  picnic — and  you  will  realise  that  it  is  not 
a  question  of  saving  energy  with  these  people,  for 
they  probably  spend  more  than  usual.  If  any 
benefit  comes  from  these  laborious  trips  to  the  coun- 
try, it  is  due  to  change  not  to  what  is  called  rest. 
The  same  is  true  of  most  of  our  entertainments 
ai|d  amusements,  particularly  those  that  wear  upon 
the  emotions,  or  keep  us  out  late  at  night. 

In  the  case  of  the  inner  activities  that  exhaust 
and  annoy  us,  for  instance,  impatience,  it  is  of 
little  avail  to  tamper  with  external  modes  of 
conduct,  if  no  change  has  been  made  at  the  centre. 
Begin  rather  by  considering  the  constituents  of 
patience.  See  what  changes  should  come  about  in 
your  bodily  and  nervous  systems.  Note  that  when 
you  sleep  well,  keep  good  hours,  it  is  easier  for  you 
to  be  patient.  More  important  still,  start  several 
stages  farther  back  by  beginning  to  be  more  toler- 
ant of  your  fellows;  be  willing  to  let  others  take 
their  own  pace;  adapt  yourself  to  various  sorts  of 
inconveniences  when  travelling;  see  the  amusing 
side  of  different  kinds  of  beds  and  the  like.  Once 
embarked  in  such  an  investigation,  you  will  not 
only  save  a  deal  of  energy  from  day  to  day — energy 
usually  spent  in  complaint  and  expressions  of 
annoyance — but  will  be  surprised  to  find  how  well 
adapted  the  world  is  to  such  a  person  as  yourself. 


140  Human  Efficiency 

In  every  well-ordered  life  there  is  a  saving  grace 
of  some  sort. 

I  once  sat  near  a  speaker  who  was  addressing  an 
open-air  gathering  in  the  summer-time,  and  I 
noticed  that  during  forty-five  minutes  he  did  not 
once  change  the  position  of  his  feet,  did  not  raise 
his  arms  to  gesticulate,  and  did  not  raise  his  voice. 
As  one  would  expect,  this  speaker  chose  his  words 
with  great  care,  permitted  no  sentence  to  escape 
from  his  lips  that  was  not  well  ordered,  in  entire 
keeping  with  his  thought.  One  saw  that  here  was  a 
man  of  wide  information,  who  knew  a  fact  from  a 
theory,  and  who  used  his  powers  to  capital  advan- 
tage. Now  we  might  not  always  prefer  so  deliber- 
ate and  precise  a  speaker,  so  accustomed  are  we 
to  impassioned  utterance,  but  we  would  like  to 
see  every  speaker  thus  able  to  think  and  speak 
deliberately. 

If  able  to  command  sufficient  repose  to  analyse 
a  subject  carefully,  discerning  its  parts,  arranging 
them  in  order,  singling  out  essential  points  and 
formulating  laws,  you  have  already  made  several 
attainments  in  this  direction.  Such  control  implies 
the  ability  to  adopt  a  point  of  view  and  follow  it 
logically  to  its  conclusions,  and  this  implies  com- 
mand of  the  brain.  It  also  involves  the  mechanism 
that  secures  external  order  and  system,  insures 
confidence,  and  enables  one  to  strike  out  and 
reach  a  goal.  But  this  efficiency  is  the  fruition 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     141 

of  continued  effort  in  a  clearly  defined  direction 
and  is  never  the  result  of  mere  growth  at  random. 

It  is  not  the  quietude  which  we  are  born  with 
that  avails,  not  that  of  mere  silence,  or  an  atti- 
tude assumed  for  the  occasion.  Nor  is  it  a  question 
of  adjustment  to  a  higher  level  of  energy  attained 
through  momentary  receptivity  or  prayer.  To 
hold  still  for  a  time,  to  be  calm  at  the  centre,  is  to 
a&opt  a  means  to  the  end,  but  the  desideratum  is 
a  state  of  composure  that  has  become  habitual. 
This  end  is  not  attained  through  meditation  alone, 
but  through  repeated  effort  and  victory  in  actual 
work  in  the  world.  The  silent  pauses  between 
hours  of  activity  are  necessary,  and  without  them 
we  could  hardly  observe  the  play  of  energies  suffi- 
ciently to  discover  the  frictions,  tensions,  and 
emotional  excesses.  But  to  penetrate  behind  the 
disturbed  centres  to  the  inmost  causes  is  to  become 
acquainted  with  laws  and  acquire  a  knowledge  that 
gives  strength  and  stability.  He  who  has  faced  his 
nervousness  and  his  frictions  must  later  face  his 
selfishness,  and  there  are  nervous  activities  within 
us  that  can  neither  be  stilled  nor  checked  but  must 
be  lifted  up  and  put  to  wiser  use. 

Some  people  show  in  a  few  minutes'  conversa- 
tion why  they  have  become  neurasthenics.  That 
is,  they  speak  with  enormous  waste  of  energy, 
using  their  powers  like  the  person  who  does  three 
days'  work  in  one  and  then  rests  for  three  days  to 


142  Human  Efficiency 

recover  from  the  excess.  To  catch  oneself  in  the 
act  of  forging  ahead  is  to  realise  what  a  whirl- 
wind of  excitement  is  ordinarily  taking  place 
within,  what  tensions,  frictions,  and  strains  still 
remain  to  be  overcome.  One  can  hardly  learn 
precisely  what  is  taking  place  without  at  the  same 
time  seeing  what  should  be  done.  Catching  oneself 
in  the  act,  one  is  able  to  trace  effects  to  causes. 
Hence  one  sees  at  what  point  the  organism  must 
be  cared  for  in  a  wiser  way,  just  where  the  centres 
of  nervous  activity  must  be  overcome.  But  all 
this  calls  for  more  self-knowledge  and  composure 
as  the  basis  for  control  of  the  organism.  This  in 
turn  demands  a  simpler  life,  with  more  time  for 
reflection.  Thus  the  inquiry  ever  leads  back  to  the 
same  point. 

Since  the  results  are  perfect  expressions  of  the 
causes,  one  ought  to  be  able  to  judge  so  accurately 
by  the  signs  as  to  know  when  one  is  reaching  the 
limit  of  energy,  when  to  push  on  and  work.  At 
one  time  it  may  be  wise  to  follow  lines  of  least 
resistance,  to  take  the  easy  course ;  but  on  occasion 
our  course  unmistakably  lies  straight  through  the 
greatest  obstacle.  Certain  of  our  new  resolves 
must  be  acted  on  immediately,  otherwise  we  lose 
the  benefit  of  the  new  impetus;  yet  there  are 
ideals  which  we  must  steadily  hold  before  the 
mind  for  years,  since  the  time  for  their  realisation 
is  not  within  our  power  to  decide. 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     143 

One  must  learn  from  experience  when  to  move 
with  the  incoming  tide,  when  it  is  best  to  wait,  or  be 
aggressive.  A  part  of  every  successful  life  con- 
sists in  watching  the  trend  of  events  to  see  when  to 
join  in.  The  more  wisely  observant  and  reflective 
the  more  likely  we  are  to  spare  ourselves  the  enor- 
mous expenditures  of  energy  of  those  who  struggle 
against  the  tide,  the  more  frequently  we  may 
discover  favourable  occasions.  Thus,  taking  our 
clues  from  nature's  ebbings  and  flowings,  we  may 
let  our  heads  save  our  heels  in  many  a  new  way, 
steadily  exercising  finer  powers  of  interior  control. 
We  may  already  have  learned  to  conserve  our 
forces  by  eating  pure  and  simple  food,  making  the 
appropriate  changes  in  diet  at  wise  junctures,  but 
now  we  may  be  able  to  advance  by  eating  more 
moderately  or  by  depending  on  a  smaller  quantity. 
Thus  there  may  be  gradual  evolution  through 
the  acquisition  of  wise  habits,  while  these  in  turn 
make  it  possible  to  give  one's  consciousness  more 
fully  to  matters  that  require  active  thought. 

We  hardly  need  to  remind  ourselves  that  energy 
is  saved  in  a  well-ordered  household  or  office, 
where  closets,  desks,  and  shelves  are  in  order,  and 
each  person  knows  precisely  where  the  utensils 
are  to  be  found  which  pertain  to  his  organic  service. 
It  is  always  possible  to  introduce  improvements 
even  where  an  admirable  system  prevails,  especi- 
ally since  the  system  itself  may  in  time  become  a 


144  Human  Efficiency 

hindrance.  External  order  at  its  best  means  con- 
trol and  system  within  a  brain  that  more  and  more 
effectively  serves  a  well-ordered  mind.  Possibili- 
ties open  before  us  without  limit  when  the  subject 
really  engages  our  attention.  The  crucial  question 
is,  Have  we  found  a  central  clue?  Are  we  making 
changes  in  food,  methods  of  work,  exercise,  and 
the  like,  at  random  or  with  a  definite  principle  in 
mind? 

Nature  moves  forward  in  measured  rhythms  and 
cycles,  and  the  wise  man  learns  to  accord  his  con- 
duct with  nature,  acquiring  the  rhythms  which 
pertain  to  his  type  of  work,  his  temperament,  and 
the  conditions  under  which  he  lives.  He  does  not 
try  to  change  but  to  build  on  nature,  letting  art 
grow  out  of  life.  Nor  does  he  undertake  to  change 
his  disposition  or  acquire  control  except  where 
his  knowledge  shows  such  control  or  change  to  be 
feasible.  He  is  not  primarily  a  reformer,  and  is 
not  seeking  to  make  others  like  himself;  he  sees 
the  importance  of  taking  the  world  as  it  really  is, 
meanwhile  contributing  his  quota  of  life  and 
knowledge. 

Just  as  a  man  may  learn  from  the  promptings 
of  his  physical  nature  when  to  push  forward,  when 
not,  so  he  may  learn  from  the  spontaneous  play 
of  the  mind.  The  usual  habit  of  thought  is  to 
employ  the  brain  to  the  full  in  downright  thinking, 
and  oftentimes  this  is  the  best  way.  But  capital 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     145 

results  sometimes  come  from  observing  the  gradual 
growth  of  ideas,  taking  the  clues  for  active  thought 
from  the  spontaneous  fruitions  of  ideas  that  have 
matured  in  their  own  time.  Experience  produces 
intellectual  deposits  in  us  that  surpass  many  of 
our  self-conscious  attainments.  Out  from  the  re- 
cesses of  the  mind  come  ideas  that  have  gathered 
in  new  groupings  round  a  central  conception.  The 
illuminating  clues  that  suddenly  flash  into  con- 
sciousness may  save  us  far  more  time  and  strength 
in  the  long  run  than  the  mere  economy  of  physical 
and  nervous  energy.  The  significant  considera- 
tion in  such  a  case  is  not  the  hidden  mental  process 
but  the  fruition  or  idea  which  affords  a  clue  for 
action. 

If  by  brooding  over  a  plan  I  am  intuitively  able 
to  discern  the  right  clue,  I  shall  then  be  able  to 
step  forth  into  the  arena  of  action  prepared  to  suc- 
ceed at  every  turn.  The  best  way  to  save  energy 
may  be  to  avoid  using  it  until  I  know  whither  to 
proceed,  since  it  may  be  better  to  experiment  in 
the  world  of  thought  than  in  the  sphere  of  action. 
When  I  discern  the  clue  emerging  from  my  deeper 
selfhood  into  the  clear  light  of  consciousness  I  may 
open  wide  the  gates  of  the  will,  abandoning  myself 
to  action  without  much  thought  of  the  way  in 
which  I  am  using  my  energies. 

In  other  words,  much  power  is  wasted  in  antici- 
pation, in  the  effort  to  work  ourselves  into  enthusi- 


146  Human  Efficiency 

astic  self-expression  and  loyalty  before  a  sufficient 
incentive  has  come.  This  is  like  trying  to  love 
on  general  principles,  because  we  think  we  ought. 
Again,  it  is  like  the  effort  to  quiet  our  doubts, 
whereas  the  only  way  to  be  rid  of  a  doubt  is  to  see 
it  through.  It  is  well  to  give  the  spontaneous 
processes  full  opportunity  to  produce  fruitions. 
Our  deepest  convictions  develop  by  a  law  of  their 
own.  Love  comes  in  its  fulness  when  there  is  some 
one  to  call  it  out.  Time  settles  many  things  which 
no  exertion  on  our  part  can  hasten.  He  truly 
saves  energy  who  takes  the  course  that  life  takes, 
biding  his  time,  ready  to  respond  to  the  best  that 
the  hour  offers. 

It  is  plainly  of  more  consequence  to  know  what 
interests  and  incentives  satisfactorily  set  our  ener- 
gies free  than  to  observe  our  movements  in  order 
to  know  when  to  slacken  speed.  Enthusiasm,  for 
example,  frees  our  powers  and  carries  us  far  on  the 
road  to  accomplishment,  yet  unless  counterbal- 
anced it  quickly  peters  out  or  runs  into  emotional 
excess.  What  one  desires  is  enthusiasm  guided  by 
and  aiding  a  purpose,  and  continuing  along  the 
line  of  action.  Nothing  enables  us  to  employ  our 
energies  to  better  advantage  than  work  to  which 
we  can  give  hearty  support,  making  as  little  as 
possible  of  its  imperfections  and  dwelling  on  the 
ideal  for  which  it  stands.  On  the  other  hand, 
nothing  wastes  our  energy  more  quickly  than 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     147 

misplaced,  superficial,  and  disturbing  emotions. 
Anger,  fear,  hatred,  jealousy,  for  example,  exhaust 
the  energy  with  amazing  rapidity.  The  same  is 
true  of  ecstasy  in  all  its  forms,  and  of  any  excite- 
ment that  is  intimately  related  to  nervous  activi- 
ties and  greatly  heightened  sensibilities.  The 
avoidance  of  emotional  excess  is  one  of  the  secrets 
of  success  in  the  right  use  of  energies.  Those  who 
stek  their  second  wind  on  enthusiasm  will  pay 
a  high  price  for  the  sudden  spurt.  This  is  true 
despite  the  other  truth  on  which  Emerson  and 
others  have  insisted,  that  nothing  great  was 
ever  achieved  without  enthusiasm. 

The  real  problem  with  many  of  us,  as  Professor 
James  points  out,  is  the  removal  of  repressions 
and  inhibitions.  If  I  possess  a  purpose  in  life  I 
should  be  able  to  yield  my  powers  to  the  full  in 
accordance  with  my  vocation,  hence  find  freedom 
through  exercise.  This  is  the  positive  method, 
whereas  to  examine  my  nature  with  a  view  to  the 
discovery  of  all  tensions  and  repressions  would  be 
an  endless  undertaking,  involving  much  unpleasant 
self-consciousness.  If  subject  to  dogmas,  habits 
that  impede  free  action,  personalities  that  enslave, 
I  must  indeed  examine  myself.  But  if  subject 
to  repressions  dating  back  to  childhood  I  am 
most  likely  to  become  free  by  giving  expression 
to  the  element  of  play,  to  activities  which  tend 
to  overcome  habits  of  over-seriousness.  If  reticent, 


148  Human  Efficiency 

secretive,  or  distrustful,  the  resource  is  once  more 
free  self-expression.  To  open  wide  the  gates  for  a 
time  will  be  to  discover  in  due  course  how  to 
utilise  the  energy  thus  set  free.  Strictly  speaking, 
we  have  always  used  the  power  in  question,  for 
inhibition  requires  energy;  but  the  structure  was 
rigid  and  energy  was  lost  in  impeded  endeavour  to 
be  free  while  under  restraint  on  every  side. 

Life  is  in  general  a  progressive  quest  for  more 
satisfactory  forms  of  expression.  The  forces  that 
are  within  us  inevitably  spend  their  activities  in 
some  fashion.  Our  part  is  to  aid  in  providing 
channels  that  correspond  with  our  interior  growth, 
taking  our  clues  in  part  from  the  restlessness  which 
appears  in  new  forms  as  time  goes  on.  Half  the 
problem  is  to  know  what  the  difficulty  is,  why  we 
are  dissatisfied.  The  life  that  is  stirring  within 
us  will  reveal  its  own  needs  if  we  observe  it  at  the 
point  of  inward  striving,  and  once  more  yield 
ourselves  to  the  spontaneous  play.  The  prompt- 
ing of  the  moment,  or  the  compelling  idea,  is  often 
far  more  serviceable  as  a  clue  than  the  consciously 
chosen  plan.  If  I  write  to-day,  for  example,  on  the 
subject  that  fills  my  mind  I  shall  probably  write 
better  than  on  the  topic  I  settled  upon  last  night 
and  sought  to  give  myself  so  fully  to  this  morning. 
That  is  to  say,  the  creative  life  within  me  seeks 
channels  of  its  own,  and  indicates  when  it  is 
ready  to  produce  in  a  given  direction.  Conse- 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     149 

quently,  I  take  my  clue  once  more  from  nature. 
To  go  counter  to  my  inner  prompting  would  be  to 
exercise  my  will  against  an  economical  energising 
of  my  being.  Wisdom  in  the  use  of  energy  implies 
in  this  case  full  co-operation.  On  the  physical 
side,  there  is  less  friction,  more  harmonious  action, 
less  fatigue,  a  better  state  generally. 

There  is  one  situation,  however,  in  which  people 
Seldom  realise  their  own  need,  that  is,  when  they 
have  weighed  alternatives  so  long  that  they  have 
lost  the  power  of  initiative.  To  study  inner  states 
when  one  is  in  such  a  condition  might  be  to  become 
more  and  more  enveloped  in  self-conscious  consider- 
ations. What  some  of  us  need  is  a  mental  upheaval 
sufficient  to  upset  nicely-balanced  arguments  and 
plunge  us  into  a  definite  line  of  action.  There  are 
occasions  when  by  a  sheer  act  of  will  we  must 
break  through  the  line  of  self -consciousness  and  do 
something  courageous  that  will  bring  about  a 
vigorous  reaction.  Conscience  not  only  makes 
cowards  of  us  but  represses  energy  which  should 
be  in  free  play.  Simply  to  put  ourselves  in  motion 
in  some  direction  is  the  great  need  of  the  extremely 
conscientious.  When  the  repressed  energies  are 
once  more  in  exercise  it  will  be  time  to  consider 
what  use  to  make  of  them. 

If  there  be  a  time  when  it  is  justifiable  to  influ- 
ence another  it  is  when  the  "New  England  con- 
science" has  brought  about  a  deadened  condition. 


150  Human  Efficiency 

There  is  more  hope  for  the  sinner  than  for  the 
victim  of  this  benumbing  introspection.  In  another 
sense  this  is  sin,  sin  against  life,  that  marvellous 
power  which  demands  far  more  than  mere  serious- 
ness from  us.  The  more  seriously  we  tend  to  take 
ourselves  and  our  inner  states  the  more  reason  for 
an  off-setting  life  of  play  and  new  ventures.  Really 
to  know  and  possess  a  quality  is  to  be  able  to  lay 
it  aside.  In  those  who  have  great  powers  of  self- 
control  and  obedience,  you  will  also  find  great 
powers  of  relaxation  and  abandonment.  The  great 
saint  could  have  been  the  great  sinner. 

When  all  has  been  said  that  need  be  said  to  those 
who  require  rest  and  recuperative  change  it  is 
probably  true  of  most  of  us,  whether  ill  or  healthy, 
that  we  need  more  incentives,  more  outlets  for 
our  energy.  This  is  true  at  any  rate  in  so  far  as 
we  are  uneasy,  self-centred,  dissatisfied.  Hence 
to  be  put  to  work  is  the  best  medicine  in  a  great 
number  of  cases,  put  to  work  at  tasks  that  compel 
us  to  make  exertion  for  ourselves,  or  make  us 
objective,  outgoing.  To  wait  in  receptivity 
might  be  to  wait  for  months  or  years.  What  is 
imperative  is  an  incentive  which  will  enable  us 
to  throw  off  the  weight  of  depression  or  habit, 
transcend  the  dull  present,  ride  over  obstacles, 
assume  responsibility  once  more. 

If  we  watch  ourselves  long  at  a  time  we  are 
likely  to  become  enveloped  in  processes  instead 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     151 

of  concentrating  on  ends.  It  is  not  a  question  of 
negative  considerations,  of  what  we  do  not  know, 
but  of  what  can  be  accomplished.  Hence  one 
needs  to  look  squarely  at  one's  total  situation  in 
life  acknowledging  whatever  is  rampant  yet  by 
no  means  neglecting  the  ideal  element.  No  mere 
drifting  down  the  stream  of  time  suffices  at  this 
point.  No  secret  knowledge  of  inner  springs  of 
action  will  carry  us  through.  It  is  rather  a  ques- 
tion of  work  and  increased  efficiency  acquired 
through  work,  of  the  more  important  social  adjust- 
ments, the  problems  of  self-will;  and  the  courageous 
ventures  that  involve  willingness  to  meet  any 
consequences  for  the  sake  of  the  right  and  the  true. 

At  this  point  our  inquiry  becomes  essentially 
moral.  Character  avails  above  the  energy  or  the 
way  it  is  employed.  One  would  like  to  know  how 
to  quicken  in  men  the  moral  fire  that  sets  them  in 
motion,  brings  them  more  profoundly  to  judgment. 
Given  the  moral  impetus  a  way  through  the  mazes 
of  self -consciousness  would  be  found,  the  energies 
would  be  brought  into  unity,  and  good  deeds  would 
follow.  What  is  needed  is  the  vitalising  idea.  If 
by  some  secret  process  one  could  discover  hidden 
reservoirs  of  moral  power  within  the  selfhood  of 
man,  we  might  indeed  work  wonders. 

A  step  towards  the  solution  of  this  deeper  pro- 
blem is  found  when  we  understand  the  relationship 
between  idea  and  energy,  By  the  term  "energy" 


152  Human  Efficiency 

one  means  nervous  and  physical  force.  The  im- 
portant characteristic  of  such  force  is  that  it  is 
exhausted  by  use,  the  notable  instance  being  that  of 
the  exhaustion  caused  by  such  emotions  as  anger, 
or  the  insidious  depletion  resulting  from  anxiety 
and  nervous  intensity.  The  problem  is  not 
merely  that  of  inhibiting  the  interior  frictions  that 
exhaust  our  forces,  but  the  development  and 
maintenance  of  conditions  which  shall  render  such 
wear  and  tear  impossible.  The  economy  of  energy 
implies  the  existence  of  power  capable  of  acquiring 
control.  Hence  the  deeper  question  is,  What  is  the 
self  with  its  moral  and  spiritual  life,  its  powers  of 
inhibition  and  concentration,  and  what  are  the 
resources  at  its  command? 

When  we  pass  from  the  level  of  physical  and 
nervous  forces  to  that  of  the  intellectual  life  do  we 
still  find  that  energy  is  exhausted?  Certainly, 
in  so  far  as  an  idea  has  a  psychophysical  basis, 
takes  expression  through  the  will  and  influences 
conduct.  In  the  processes  of  calm  reflection  there 
may  be  the  least  expenditure  of  energy.  Hence  the 
prevalence  of  states  of  calmly  reflective  activity 
is  likely  to  lead  to  the  development  of  a  centre 
of  inward  repose,  and  this  in  turn  may  become  a 
basis  for  further  control.  It  is  not  of  course  a 
question  of  avoiding  all  expenditure  of  energy, 
for,  as  we  have  seen,  there  is  ordinarily  a  sufficient 
amount  to  carry  us  successfully  through  the  day. 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     153 

But  the  question  of  efficiency  in  the  use  of  energy 
has  now  become  one  of  choice  of  efficient  interior 
states. 

Another  question  must  be  answered  before  we 
proceed.  Is  an  idea  in  the  form  of  an  affirmation 
dynamic  in  character?  Is  it  possible  by  diligent 
reiteration  to  establish  a  formula  in  the  mind  so 
that  it  will  attract  favourable  conditions  and  bring 
about  physiological  changes?  Many  believe  so, 
hence  they  turn  their  whole  attention  to  the  fixa- 
tion of  appropriate  thoughts,  with  the  view  of 
acquiring  power.  The  assumption  is  that  when  the 
right  combination  of  thoughts  is  discovered  ener- 
gies will  be  set  free  that  will  do  the  work,  through 
the  co-operation  of  the  subconscious  mind. 

Our  study  of  subconsciousness  led  us  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  decisive  factors  are  not  below 
but  above  the  threshold  of  consciousness,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  man  who  cared  more  to  give  up  than  to 
retain  the  habits  of  smoking  and  drinking.  It  is 
the  will  that  is  dynamic,  aided  by  imagination  and 
idea.  Consciously  acquired  control  of  energy 
through  wise  use  of  the  will  is  the  vital  considera- 
tion. For  it  is  only  now  and  then  that  an  idea,  out 
of  the  multitude  that  course  through  the  mind, 
leads  to  active  accomplishment.  Our  thoughts 
are  often  like  pictures  seen  on  a  wall  or  in  a  book. 
If  a  picture  sets  us  on  fire,  the  reason  is  found  in 
the  response  of  the  will,  in  the  absence  of  inhibitory 


154  Human  Efficiency 

lines  of  conduct.  Not  all  ideas  are  motor-ideas, 
but  what  we  desire,  love,  will  to  attain,  may  well 
become  the  goal  of  quickly  resulting  action.  The 
adoption  of  a  favourable  idea  does  not  absolve 
us  from  the  necessity  of  work,  any  more  than  the 
acceptance  of  a  creed  makes  a  man  a  Christian. 

Yet  the  idea  is  a  necessary  factor  and  in  many 
instances  the  starting-point.  Reflect  until  you 
discover  an  idea  that  appeals  to  you  and  the  sub- 
sequent activities  may  be  easy  indeed.  The  deci- 
sive consideration  is,  What  leads  us  to  issue  the 
fiat  or  command?  For  love  is  the  man,  and  when 
man  sees  an  idea  that  appeals  to  his  heart  he  will 
act  on  it  with  avidity. 

Investigation  shows  that  our  volitional  activi- 
ties are  much  nearer  the  processes  that  find  expres- 
sion in  the  body  than  are  the  processes  of  thought, 
hence  we  should  expect  to  find  that  the  amount  of 
energy  employed  is  greater.  It  is  well  known  that 
acts  of  will  involve  effort,  and  that  hesitancy  of 
will  is  exhausting.  He  who  has  made  up  his  mind 
is  in  a  position  to  act  with  effect.  Hence  we  arrive 
at  the  conclusion  that  the  wisest  use  of  our  ener- 
gies is  likely  to  result  from  a  life  regulated  by 
reason.  Here  indeed  is  a  power  which  while  differ- 
ing from  bodily  energy  is  of  the  nature  of  a  higher 
level  of  activity.  The  moral  therefore  is,  train 
your  powers  through  systematic  study  of  real 
life,  through  the  acquisition  of  knowledge  which 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     155 

shows  what  is  worth  while ;  acquire  facts  and  mas- 
ter the  laws  of  nature;  meet  life  philosophically 
that  you  may  really  meet  it  to  advantage.  What- 
ever powers  of  control  we  possess  may  then  be 
brought  into  exercise. 

Are  we  able  as  finite  beings  to  break  through  the 
inertia  of  our  selfhood  and  rouse  the  will  to  action? 
Whence  come  the  highest  incentives  that  ever 
abtuate  men  and  women?  To  answer  these  ques- 
tions we  must  consider  the  deeper  problem  more 
or  less  in  sight  throughout  our  discussion,  What 
are  our  powers  ultimately?  Whence  comes  the  life 
by  which  we  gain  control  over  physical,  nervous, 
and  mental  powers,  ascending  from  the  level  of 
mere  energy  to  that  of  inward  peace  and  spiritual 
composure?  Surely  we  cannot  expect  to  solve  our 
problem  without  taking  into  account  the  deepen- 
ing and  quickening  experiences  which  transform 
us  from  creatures  of  distrust  and  worriment  into 
beings  of  faith  and  hope,  conferring  on  us  the 
priceless  gifts  of  the  Spirit.  The  whole  situation 
changes  when  we  view  it  in  this  light. 

Starting  at  the  highest  conceivable  centre  of 
the  cosmos,  it  is  reasonable  to  assume  that  the 
divine  life  is  without  friction,  or  misspent  energy. 
Knowledge  of  human  suffering  there  may  be, 
also  sympathy,  love  of  a  constant  type,  proceeding 
forth  in  creative  efficiency.  If  the  creative  power, 
going  forth  in  progressive  expression,  encounters 


156  Human  Efficiency 

no  obstacle,  it  undoubtedly  moves  onward  without 
exhaustion.  We  think  of  the  peace  ' '  which  passeth 
all  understanding"  as  descending  into  us  so  as  to 
allay  fear  and  other  inner  disturbances.  Such 
obstacles  as  the  divine  peace  encounters  on  our 
part  we  seek  to  remove  by  attaining  ideal  respon- 
siveness. Perfect  accordance  with  the  divine  will 
would  be  a  union  without  friction,  including 
obedience,  the  acceptance  of  responsibility,  and 
the  simplification  of  life  so  that  the  customary 
incentives  would  be  reduced  to  the  leadings  and 
insights  which  this  union  would  arouse.  Consider 
what  a  world  of  tribulations  and  annoyances  would 
cease  to  exist,  how  greatly  human  conduct  would 
be  changed. 

No  doubt  the  real  secret  of  a  life  that  stands  out 
above  others  is  found  here,  in  responsiveness  to  the 
divine  will,  in  fidelity  to  the  call  of  genius,  how- 
ever we  may  phrase  the  matter.  If  unable  to 
detect  the  initial  leadings  and  responses,  we  are  at 
least  aware  of  the  soul's  endeavours  to  be  true  to 
these  promptings,  the  struggles  that  ensue  in  the 
effort  to  bring  all  interior  powers  into  line,  the  con- 
tests with  the  flesh,  the  temptations  of  the  world. 
We  do  not  begrudge  the  effort  spent  in  training 
the  powers  of  mind  and  heart  to  bring  them  into 
adaptation.  Every  soul  passes  through  moral  and 
spiritual  conflicts,  but  the  power  to  meet  them  is 
commonly  admitted  to  come  from  a  higher  source 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     157 

than  one  to  which  the  term  "energy"  rightfully 
applies.  These  are,  if  you  please,  non-spatial  con- 
flicts, they  take  place  in  the  "intelligible  world," 
extending  through  the  soul's  life-time  here,  yet 
pertaining  more  to  the  eternal  values  than  to  the 
realm  of  hours  and  years. 

Exhaustion  of  energy  obviously  begins  when, 
encountering  the  conditions  of  natural  existence, 
wte  seek  to  realise  the  visions  of  the  soul.  One 
would  fain  spend  days  at  a  time  in  creative  labour 
but  the  imperatives  of  natural  existence  intervene. 
One  would  like  to  work  "without  pay  and  without 
price,"  but  it  is  necessary  in  this  mundane  realm 
to  seek  dollars  and  cents.  Thus  the  ideal  is  in 
sharp  contrast  with  the  natural,  as  sharp  as  in  the 
ancient  days  when  Plato  made  his  classic  descrip- 
tion. To  be  dedicated  to  an  ideal  is  to  give  con- 
stant thought  to  the  besetting  conditions  which 
limit  our  tasks.  The  joy  of  it  is  found  in  the  abound- 
ing life  that  accompanies  the  ideal  consciousness. 
Not  to  be  measured  in  terms  of  foot-pounds,  or 
with  reference  to  the  specific  energies  of  the  nervous 
system,  this  life  wells  into  operation  with  absorb- 
ing might.  While  under  its  sway  no  man  can  give 
heed  to  its  processes  but  only  to  its  results  and  the 
goals  it  has  in  view.  The  more  obediently  and 
joyfully  a  man  yields  himself  to  its  rhythms  the 
less  he  cares  for  the  ordinary  round  of  social  events 
with  its  whirling  excitements,  its  restless  pursuit 


158  Human  Efficiency 

of  something  new,  its  wearying  endeavours  to  fill 
the  hour  and  fight  off  ennui.  Hence  the  ideal  life 
appears  to  be  one  in  which  there  is  a  large  measure 
of  repose  at  the  centre,  a  repose  inspired  by  secure 
possession  of  the  eternal  values. 

To  trace  all  the  results  of  inward  repose  would 
be  to  find  its  power  gradually  extending  into  the 
secondary  activities  of  life,  lessening  the  friction, 
hence  increasing  the  general  efficiency.  The  serene 
centre  would  then  be  the  basis  of  the  greatest  work 
achieved  by  the  individual,  for  the  real  might  of 
the  self  is  spiritual,  and  only  with  the  power  that 
does  not  wear  out  can  one  conquer  the  energy 
which  is  exhausted  by  use.  It  is  economy  of  energy 
to  employ  spiritual  power  when  we  can,  to  think 
from  the  centre  outward,  moving  with  the  highest 
prompting  we  find  there. 

When  does  friction  begin?  When  we  encounter 
our  lower  selfhood,  meet  the  opposition  of  the  flesh 
and  the  inertia  of  the  will.  How  shall  we  encounter 
this  resistance  more  effectively  than  by  gaining  the 
knowledge  for  which  I  am  here  pleading,  especially 
by  increasing  the  spiritual  consciousness  which 
sets  us  free?  One  word  of  power  at  this  crucial 
centre  possesses  incalculable  influence  over  us. 
The  rest  of  life  is  a  training  and  preparation  for 
this.  It  is  not  necessary  to  seek  secret  springs  of 
energy  if  we  have  found  the  source  of  power.  None 
of  the  matters  under  consideration  in  our  inquiry 


Our  Energies  and  their  Control     159 

can  be  settled  without  thus  tracing  them  to  the 
fountain-head,  considering  them  in  the  light  of  our 
attitude  with  respect  to  moral  and  spiritual  ideals. 
However  far  off  the  moral  ideal  may  appear  to  be, 
we  may  at  least  cultivate  the  attitude  most  likely  to 
draw  into  our  souls  the  sweet  peace  of  the  Spirit,  the 
divine  fire  that  stirs  our  hearts  to  effective  service. x 
It  is  indeed  true  that  ordinarily  we  fail  to  use 
ovr  energies  to  advantage,  but  the  prime  reason 
is  found  not  in  mere  waste  of  force,  as  serious  as 
that  may  be,  but  in  imperfect  adaptation  to  the 
powers  that  conquer.  We  have  found  that  the 
two  lines  of  development  which  lead  most  directly 
to  the  goal  are  psychological  and  spiritual.  We 
need  to  grow  in  knowledge  of  life  through  systematic 
training  of  our  energies  and  powers,  and  we  need 
to  grow  in  the  consciousness  which  becomes 
dynamic  through  moral  and  religious  incentives. 
Man's  part  is  to  organise  his  energies,  co-ordinate 
his  powers,  become  efficient,  productive,  creative. 
The  more  deeply  consecrated  the  less  thought  will 
he  be  compelled  to  give  to  mere  processes;  for  the 
very  nature  of  moral  efficiency  is  to  make  a  man 
strong,  prudent,  capable  of  putting  in  strokes  that 
tell,  conservative  of  his  energies  in  the  best  sense 
yet  lavish  of  them  when  worthy  occasions  call  them 
forth. 

1 1  have  tried  to  make  this  attitude  clear  in  various  earlier 
volumes,  especially  The  Power  of  Silence,  and  Living  by  the  Spirit. 


CHAPTER  VII 

* 

THE  NATURE  OF  HUMAN  WORK 

THE  scope  of  efficiency  has  steadily  widened 
as  our  investigation  has  proceeded.  At 
first  it  appeared  to  be  an  essentially  quantitative 
principle,  relating  to  manual,  industrial,  and  com- 
mercial matters  solely.  Yet  from  the  first  we  saw 
that  it  involved  co-operation  between  the  manual 
labourer,  the  foreman,  the  teacher;  and  all  who 
plan,  manage,  or  take  the  lead,  therefore  co-opera- 
tion between  head  and  hand.  Even  the  question 
of  industrial  efficiency  ran  over  into  the  inner  life, 
hence  was  seen  to  involve  mental,  moral,  and  other 
issues  of  a  qualitative  sort.  Efficiency  regarded 
as  the  art  of  adaptation  to  the  economic  conditions 
of  the  day  implies  the  art  of  life,  adaptation  to 
nature,  and  the  conditions  in  general  which  per- 
tain to  human  efficiency.  Industrial  efficiency 
cannot  be  regarded  as  a  mere  question  of  time, 
together  with  the  economies  of  production  and 
distribution  which  grow  out  of  it,  but  must  include 
the  economy  of  nervous  and  physical  energy.  If 

the  "rule  of  the  thumb"  can  no  longer  be  followed 

1 60 


The  Nature  of  Human  Work      161 

in  the  mechanic  arts,  surely  it  cannot  be  in  the 
world  of  physical  powers  and  mental  activities. 

Furthermore,  we  have  been  led  to  take  account 
of  differences  in  cerebral  capacity,  in  the  skill  or 
training  which  separates  a  first-class  workman  from 
an  average  labourer,  in  physical  strength,  in  nerve- 
power,  and  the  variations  which  the  vocations 
introduce  into  these  factors.  There  is  a  tendency, 
wt  have  seen,  to  keep  the  work  of  execution  dis- 
tinct from  that  of  planning,  yet  a  tendency  to 
draw  all  kinds  of  work  more  closely  together,  since 
the  same  scientific  principles  can  be  applied  to  all 
that  belongs  within  the  world  of  affairs.  Back  of 
all  types  of  work  is  the  desire  to  attain  human 
satisfaction.  The  broad-minded  disciple  of  effi- 
ciency wishes  to  live  and  let  live,  to  achieve  the 
type.  Hence  for  him  there  is  an  ideal  of  mental  co- 
ordination which  involves  choice  between  the  de- 
sires, emotions,  ideas,  and  other  mental  tendencies 
which  characterise  the  world  within.  The  ideal  is, 
to  get  in  motion  in  a  desirable  direction,  by  enlist- 
ing the  imagination,  through  the  right  use  of  sub- 
consciousness,  and  by  progressive  thinking;  and 
then  to  adapt  one's  conduct  from  time  to  time 
according  to  changing  conditions.  A  man's  voca- 
tion or  daily  work  is  thus  part  of  his  life  as  a  whole. 
His  life  may  indeed  be  shaped  by  his  work.  But 
we  are  assuming  that  every  man  is  doing  his  best 
to  understand  and  meet  the  larger  issues  of  life  of 


162  Human  Efficiency 

which  his  work  is  merely  a  part.  Many  economic 
and  other  theories  are  founded  on  interpretations 
of  human  work.  Our  plea  is  that  the  nature  of 
work  should  be  seen  apart  from  the  doctrine  by 
which  it  is  ordinarily  condemned  or  praised,  un- 
heard. 

In  very  many  quarters  work  has  long  been  in 
such  serious  disrepute  that  a  new  champion  renders 
himself  open  to  attack  at  the  very  mention  of  the 
word.  Aside  from  the  primal  curse,  it  has  been 
burdened  with  stigmas  heaped  upon  it  by  the 
aristocrat,  and  identified  with  everything  from 
which  man  sought  to  escape.  The  rich  have  been 
deemed  fortunate  because  free  from  it,  while  the 
poor  have  pictured  the  heaven  that  would  be  theirs 
could  they  cease  to  labour.  Meanwhile,  the  poets 
have  sung  of  the  dignity  of  labour,  and  the  essay- 
ists have  bidden  men  work  with  a  will  that  they 
might  reap  all  moral  benefits.  It  is  time  to  regard 
the  matter  in  more  psychological  terms,  and  in 
the  light  of  all  the  considerations  which  we  have 
urged  in  the  foregoing  chapters. 

Certain  characteristics  of  work  are  so  obvious  as 
to  require  only  a  mere  reference.  Necessity  makes 
it  a  master,  and  habit  renders  it  an  end  in  itself. 
To  get  a  piece  of  work  done,  a  man  will  sacrifice 
even  his  health,  mayhap  his  family,  and  become  a 
mere  machine.  Yet  to  concentrate  on  a  piece  of 
work  until  it  is  finished  is  under  normal  conditions 


The  Nature  of  Human  Work      163 

the  glory  of  man.  Any  number  of  conditions  con- 
spire to  put  us  out  of  sight  of  its  real  values  long 
before  it  can  become  a  joy,  just  as  people  who  have 
always  dwelt  in  the  slums  are  deprived  of  the 
pleasures  of  life  in  the  country  which  they  have 
never  seen.  So  many  wage-earners  know  it  only  as 
a  grind  that  he  who  bespeaks  its  beauties  and  de- 
lights is  quickly  scorned,  as  if  he  could  never  have 
anything  reasonable  to  say.  Others  are  steadily 
nagged  that  they  may  work  more,  or  bribed 
that  the  utmost  may  be  gained  from  their  toil. 
When  a  man  works  because  he  loves  his  occupation, 
few  onlookers  catch  his  spirit,  and  he  is  supposed 
to  be  misguided.  Yet  there  are  those  who  are 
born  with  such  a  love  of  work  that  this  zest  could 
alone  give  them  happiness  under  almost  any  con- 
ditions. Officious  observers  intervene  and  mar 
what  might  have  been  a  good  piece  of  work,  because 
the  theorist  forsooth  thinks  he  knows  better  than 
the  toiler  how  the  work  should  be  done.  Never- 
theless, it  is  not  necessarily  the  child  of  tradition 
who  knows  how  to  work  best,  since  a  scientifically 
trained  person  may  enter  the  lists  and  outdistance 
those  who  have  learned  by  doing.  Work  is  so 
often  identified  with  manual  labour,  that  a  larger 
view  is  practically  impossible.  Hence  some  of  the 
noblest  workers  of  the  world  are  disparaged. 
Meanwhile,  they  work  incessantly  who  really  stir 
the  world. 


1 64  Human  Efficiency 

To  understand  work  one  must  begin  with  the 
nature  of  man.  The  primal  curse  is  of  course  a 
myth.  Work  is  founded  in  the  nature  of  things, 
and  all  life's  joys  and  blessings  belong  with  it.  It 
was  not  work  but  idleness  that  was  cursed,  to- 
gether with  mere  self-assertion.  The  moral  cos- 
mos is  grounded  in  work,  and  without  work  there  is 
neither  growth  nor  attainment.  Work  is  necessary 
because  nothing  genuine  is  fostered  except  through 
contrast,  opposition,  and  the  occasion  that  makes 
the  man.  Man  is  essentially  an  active  being,  and 
through  self -activity  he  attains  the  keenest  satis- 
faction. From  infancy  upwards  he  reaches  out 
in  ambitious  self-expression,  ever  striving  to 
overcome  obstacles  and  to  create.  If  he  lapse  into 
inactivity  it  is  because  he  departs  from  his  normal 
selfhood,  seriously  misled.  Every  man  was  created 
to  add  his  quota  to  the  world,  and  to  win  by  his  own 
exertions  that  which  suffices  to  keep  him  in  exis- 
tence. If  he  shirks  he  must  pay  a  large  penalty, 
and  be  deprived  of  manifold  blessings.  This  is  as 
true  of  the  self-centred  and  the  neurasthenic  as  of 
those  whom  everybody  classifies  as  degenerate. 

Many  people  have  the  notion  that  it  is  what  a 
man  is  born  with  that  makes  life  worth  while. 
Hence  they  lay  stress  on  inherited  fortunes,  on 
intellectual  and  spiritual  gifts ;  hence  they  celebrate 
innocence,  untested  intuition,  whatever  is  elemen- 
tal or  vaguely  universal.  But  to  him  alone  who 


The  Nature  of  Human  Work      165 

overcometh  is  more  given.  What  I  am  born  with 
may  soon  slip  from  my  fingers  unless  I  do  something 
to  deserve  it  and  render  it  secure.  Appreciation 
is  a  product  of  toil,  and  to  evaluate  I  must  make  a 
thing  my  own.  Riches  may  be  heaped  upon  me, 
but  I  really  possess  only  what  I  have  won.  No 
one  can  make  me  a  gift  out  of  relation  to  my 
character,  no  one  can  really  coerce  me,  whatever 
appearances  may  say.  What  becomes  mine  I 
react  upon  and  assimilate  by  degrees. 

It  is  natural  to  man  to  go  forth  into  productivity 
in  response  to  a  creative  instinct.  This  self- 
activity  once  in  exercise,  there  is  opportunity  to 
observe  it  to  see  whither  it  is  tending  and  thereby 
discover  its  implied  ideal.  Mere  activity,  that  is, 
the  mere  expression  of  elemental  power  counts 
for  little.  But  a  man  must  express  his  powers 
before  he  can  select  and  organise  them.  One  may 
put  life  into  the  most  trivial  expression  and  trans- 
figure it  by  the  nobility  of  his  motive.  The  man 
who  seeks  pleasure  or  happiness  as  an  end  in  itself 
inevitably  fails,  but  the  worker  who  puts  himself 
into  his  occupation  finds  that  happiness  is  bene- 
ficently added.  If  there  be  pent-up  life  within 
me  I  should  not  expect  to  be  at  peace  until  I  find 
a  satisfactory  channel  for  its  expression.  Half 
the  misery  of  certain  classes  of  people  is  due  to 
uneasiness  which  demands  release  through  work. 
Nature  refuses  not  only  to  give  us  something  for 


i66  Human  Efficiency 

nothing  but  to  let  us  pay  half-price.  But  what  joy 
ensues  when  a  man  gives  himself  in  full  zest  to  the 
work  which  his  hands  find  to  do ! 

Discover  an  end  that  is  worth  pursuing  in  life, 
such  as  truth,  beauty,  goodness,  let  love  for  human- 
ity fill  your  heart,  and  you  will  find  it  almost  im- 
possible to  keep  from  working,  scarcely  aware  that 
what  you  are  doing  is  work.  The  most  joyous 
worker  is  he  who  has  a  purpose  in  life,  and  work 
falls  into  its  rightful  place  when  there  is  an  ade- 
quate end  in  view.  Work  as  a  fragmentary  being 
upon  fragments  and  you  should  not  expect  to 
experience  the  satisfactions  of  labour.  But  relate 
the  present  activity  with  the  world's  work  and  you 
shall  be  lifted  into  a  region  of  contagious  joy. 
Hence  work  to  be  its  best  requires  an  ideal  environ- 
ment which  lifts  me  out  of  the  servile  present. 
Granted  this,  it  is  of  secondary  consequence  what 
branch  of  my  work  I  am  just  now  engaged  in. 
The  moment's  task  well  done  will  lead  to  a  better. 
Thus  work  done  in  an  ideal  spirit  is  gloriously 
cumulative. 

Work  as  such  of  course  never  demeans  any  one. 
The  person  who  deems  himself  too  delectable  to 
engage  in  the  common  tasks  is  unworthy  of  the 
fruits  of  human  toil.  Work  levels  class-distinc- 
tions and  welds  humanity  into  a  democratic  whole. 
Few  joys  are  greater  than  that  of  doing  things  in 
consort  with  our  fellows — in  doing  things  that  need 


The  Nature  of  Human  Work      167 

to  be  done.  Hence  a  part  of  the  art  of  work  con- 
sists in  securing  a  group  to  perform  it  with  a  will. 
Those  who  work  hard  when  they  play  might  well 
turn  about  and  introduce  team -play  into  what 
they  call  hard  work.  In  play  we  are  thinking  of 
other  ends.  The  work  that  becomes  burdensome 
is  permitted  to  be  so  because  we  descend  to  the 
level  of  mere  routine. 

.Work  in  itself  is  seldom  an  injury.  Its  burdens 
are  due  to  other  causes — to  unequal  social  condi- 
tions, undue  emphasis  on  money,  to  the  encroach- 
ments of  luxury,  and  to  the  false  aristocracies  of  the 
world.  As  much  energy  is  required  to  keep  from 
work  as  to  labour.  The  energy  spent  in  supposed 
amusements  and  wearisome  vacations  would  more 
than  carry  us  through  what  lies  before  us,  and 
without  pain  or  undue  weariness.  It  is  wrong  to 
credit  work  with  the  emotional  and  other  excesses, 
with  the  worriments,  anxieties,  fears,  and  frictions 
that  arise  elsewhere.  Let  me  keep  in  prime  con- 
dition for  my  work,  and  let  me  fulfil  my  vocation, 
and  you  shall  not  hear  me  moan.  Moreover,  the 
way  in  which  I  work  is  an  important  consideration. 
If  I  concentrate  upon  the  task  at  hand  and  conserve 
my  energies  I  shall  be  little  likely  to  succumb  to 
fatigue.  Only  the  short-sighted  undertake  con- 
stantly to  drive  the  organism  at  full  pressure.  Let 
me  moderate  my  pace  and  work  rhythmically  and 
presently  you  will  find  me  distancing  my  fellows. 


168  Human  Efficiency 

He  works  well  who  keeps  within  his  powers,  avoid- 
ing inner  friction  and  enlarging  his  sphere  of 
activity  when  the  skill  with  which  he  labours 
warrants  the  increase. 

Different  kinds  of  work  demand  different 
conditions  and  methods,  and  it  would  be  futile  to 
search  for  a  single  type.  The  efficient  worker  in 
any  field  learns  how  to  fulfil  his  function  to  ad- 
vantage, and  if  you  would  know  his  secrets  you 
must  acquire  them  by  actual  service,  never  depend- 
ing on  external  imitation  or  judgment.  For 
example,  the  successful  farmer,  master  of  numerous 
arts,  learns  how  to  manage  a  farm  so  as  to  adapt 
his  activities  to  various  needs,  amidst  circumstances 
that  require  sudden  changes  according  to  the 
weather  and  the  demand  for  his  products.  The 
soprano  knows  how  to  care  for  herself  that  she 
may  preserve  her  voice  at  its  best,  maintaining  a 
high  level  of  artistic  productivity.  The  clergyman 
discovers  what  sort  of  recreation,  physical  exer- 
cise, or  vacation  is  needed  to  sustain  his  professional 
life,  without  taking  himself  too  seriously.  The 
writer  knows  how  to  live  and  study  so  that  he  may 
collect  ideas,  give  them  opportunity  to  develop,  and 
respond  to  the  promptings  of  genius.  Likewise 
with  all  others  who  are  masters  in  their  field.  Some 
of  these  may  be  working  hardest  when  apparently 
most  idle,  since  real  work  for  them  begins  in  the 
life  of  reflection.  Generally  speaking,  a  man  knows 


The  Nature  of  Human  Work      169 

how  man's  work  should  be  done,  while  a  woman 
understands  woman's  work,  but  there  is  also  human 
work  which  all  may  understand  by  doing.  Experi- 
ment leads  the  way  in  every  sphere,  but  thought 
may  follow  and  explain  secrets  to  the  competent, 
while  science  may  modify  in  radical  degree.  Strictly 
speaking,  brain-work  is  initial  and  fundamental, 
for  always  there  are  inertias  to  overcome,  obstacles 
t<>  be  removed,  or  new  paths  to  be  worn.  Whether 
or  not  a  man  be  successful  will  depend  in  the  first 
instance  upon  the  use  he  makes  of  his  head.  They 
advance  in  the  world  who  use  their  brains,  that  is, 
control  them,  and  there  never  will  be  any  dangerous 
rival. 

It  follows  that  no  economic  or  sociological 
view  is  sound  unless  it  take  account  of  this  plural- 
ism of  types  and  methods  of  work.  The  brain- 
worker  as  such  has  his  rights,  the  manual  labourer 
his,  and  it  were  vain  either  to  regulate  the  com- 
pensation by  the  amount  of  time  consumed  or  with 
reference  to  the  merely  visible  product.  The 
economic  system  must  be  as  rich  as  human  nature 
with  its  varied  interests.  As  matters  now  stand 
the  head-worker  is  as  likely  to  be  defrauded  as  the 
manual  labourer.  If  any  man  is  burdened  by  the 
thought  of  unjust  distribution  let  him  remember 
that  all  work  primarily  consists  in  understanding, 
controlling,  and  wisely  using  the  brain.  He  who  is 
master  of  his  brain  can  make  his  way  in  the  world. 


170  Human  Efficiency 

The  basis  of  successful  work  is  mental  co-ordination 
and  cerebral  training. 

Recognition  of  the  fact  that  each  type  of  work 
has  laws  of  its  own  does  not,  however,  show  that 
the  given  worker  is  the  one  who  can  best  formulate 
its  laws  and  methods.  To  know  how  work  has 
been  well  done  in  a  general  sort  of  way,  it  is  indeed 
necessary  to  be  with  and  observe  those  who  like 
the  farmer  or  housewife  are  actually  doing  it.  But 
the  master  of  scientific  principles  may  then  proceed 
to  develop  a  plan  which  involves  wiser  expendi- 
ture of  time  and  energy.  For  in  the  division  of 
labour  science  and  art  are  often  widely  separated, 
and  some  men  are  prevented  by  cerebral  and  other 
limitations  from  understanding  the  science  of  their 
own  work  until  the  specialist  has  taught  it  to  them. 
Others  are  incapable  of  grasping  the  science  even 
then,  although  they  can  be  taught  how  to  do  a 
piece  of  work  on  scientific  principles  by  the  aid 
of  a  detailed  schedule.  It  is  important,  however, 
to  remember  that  the  various  types  of  labour  were 
developed  in  the  first  place  by  those  who  acquired 
the  art  through  actual  service. 

Nor  is  the  one  who  understands  a  given  type  of 
work,  or  manual  labour  in  general,  necessarily 
the  one  best  competent  to  propound  a  theory  of 
work,  leading  to  an  economic  doctrine.  Since 
efficiency  is  both  quantitative  and  qualitative,  it 
is  impossible  to  state  the  laws  of  work  without 


The  Nature  of  Human  Work      171 

viewing  both  manual  work  and  brain-work  from 
within,  from  the  point  of  view  of  both  servant 
and  owner,  producer  and  merchant,  labourer  and 
capitalist.  One's  sympathies  are  always  with  the 
oppressed,  yet  one  cannot  overlook  the  fact  that 
each  side  of  a  case  has  its  laws.  The  burdens  which 
a  head- worker  or  a  manual  labourer  struggle  under 
may  not  by  any  means  be  those  of  the  mere  work 
o$  his  type,  for  what  he  needs  may  be  the  right  to 
work  both  with  his  head  and  with  his  hands. 

Strictly  speaking  the  genuine  worker  uses  both 
head  and  hand,  and  never  permits  himself  to 
become  a  creature  of  either.  Even  when  the 
hardest  work  is  done  with  the  head,  manual  labour 
or  out-of-door  exercise  rightfully  supplements  the 
activity  of  the  brain.  He  who  would  be  sane  must 
keep  grounded  in  one  of  the  homely  occupations 
that  closely  relate  a  man  to  the  earth,  just  as  he 
must  have  an  avocation  whatever  the  type  of  his 
professional  life.  Then  his  theories  should  grow 
out  of  his  multiform  practice.  To  undertake  to 
reform  the  world  by  insisting  that  all  work  shall  be 
industrial  would  be  arbitrary  and  vain  in  the 
extreme.  Without  a  vision  the  people  perish,  and 
we  must  have  the  fine  arts,  the  sciences,  and  the 
life  of  worship. 

Work  is  most  instructive  when  effectively 
performed  with  directly  practical  or  ideal  ends  in 
view,  not  for  the  sake  of  giving  an  object-lesson. 


172  Human  Efficiency 

For  example,  the  farmer  can  best  further  the 
growth  of  character  by  developing  his  farm  as 
successfully  as  possible,  doing  his  own  work  well, 
and  thereby  aiding  his  associates  to  fulfil  their 
part  efficiently.  A  farm  must  be  conducted  as  a 
farm,  under  the  conditions  which  nature  imposes, 
directed  by  the  man  who  has  learned  to  know  and 
work  with  nature.  If  a  moral  must  be  appended 
let  it  be  inspired  by  the  work  itself,  and  by  encour- 
aging the  farmer  to  speak  as  nature  has  taught  him. 
Some  of  the  most  fruitful  conversations  in  the 
world  spring  up  amidst  participants  in  toil.  But 
when  there  is  work  to  be  done,  or  the  crops  will 
not  be  harvested  in  time,  you  should  adapt  your 
talk  to  the  situation.  Work  compels  us  to  be 
practical,  hence  it  is  one  of  the  gods  in  disguise 
who  hold  us  close  to  the  life  that  is  worth  while. 

By  the  same  law  a  book  must  be  allowed  to 
grow,  a  picture  to  approach  completion,  a  sermon 
to  take  form.  When  you  see  an  artist  browsing, 
or  a  thinker  ruminating,  do  not  break  in  by  giving 
him  something  to  do  with  his  hands.  The  worker 
must  take  the  current  when  it  serves,  and  you 
should  know  when  to  pass  by  in  reverent  silence. 
Each  worker  knows  what  is  sacred  to  his  peculiar 
task.  The  secrets  of  creation  are  locked  up  in  the 
sphere  of  work,  and  he  alone  shall  learn  them  who 
is  faithful  to  his  genius. 

A  piece  of  work,  then,  has  a  life  of  its  own,  and 


The  Nature  of  Human  Work      173 

he  knows  what  the  spirit  of  work  is  who  permits 
himself  to  follow  this  life  in  full  receptivity  and 
responsiveness.  Fortunate  is  the  man  who  can  so 
organise  his  life  that  each  day  shall  find  him  doing 
the  productive  work  that  calls  to  him  from  out 
that  day.  He  may  then  put  aside  as  less  important 
whatever  is  not  germane  to  the  day,  eliminating 
from  his  life  that  which  in  the  long  run  does  not 
fiirther  his  work.  Yet  each  man  needs  also  to  do 
something  each  day  because  it  must  be  done  to 
keep  the  domestic  economy  in  motion. 

To  work  is  also  to  pray,  as  we  were  long  ago 
told,  and  he  who  works  well  need  not  pray  much. 
We  too  frequently  pray  for  those  things  for  which 
we  would  rather  not  work.  Work  is  an  expression 
of  strength,  and  the  more  steadily  we  pursue  our 
ends  the  less  likely  we  are  to  turn  aside  to  utter  a 
self-conscious  prayer.  He  worships  God  best  who 
most  steadily  pursues  an  ideal  end.  The  man  who 
is  devoted  to  his  work  is  little  likely  to  need  a 
religion  that  is  sundered  from  work. 

"My  Father  worketh  hitherto  and  I  work." 
He  who  must  be  about  his  Father's  business  has 
little  time  for  aught  else.  He  is  sometimes  assailed 
for  working  incessantly,  or  because  he  does  not 
attend  the  functions  of  polite  society;  but  this 
complaint  always  comes  from  those  who  have  not 
yet  found  a  sacred  task.  To  do  anything  well  is  to 
devote  one's  life  to  it.  That  is,  there  are  perennial 


174  Human  Efficiency 

interests  which  are  worthy  of  the  utmost  that  is  in 
us.  These  we  discover  after  a  time  and  we  select 
one  of  them  according  to  our  genius.  The  rest 
that  goes  to  make  up  life  may  be  adjusted  around 
this  central  interest.  When  you  find  a  man  thus 
consecrated,  aid  him  by  every  means  in  your  power. 
If  you  do  not  like  the  way  in  which  the  world's 
work  is  done,  do  your  own  work  in  such  a  way  as  to 
show  what  genuine  devotion  means.  It  is  sheer 
waste  of  energy  to  complain  because  you  must 
work,  or  because  the  economic  conditions  are  so 
very  bad.  Do  something  worth  while  as  well  as 
you  can  and  talk  less. 

Nature  works  by  imperceptible  changes,  steadily 
moving  towards  her  ends.  Her  powers  are  acquired 
cumulatively.  Thus  in  all  fields  the  successful 
worker  moves  silently  towards  his  goal,  some  day 
awakening  to  the  consciousness  that  he  is  arriving. 
Time  hardly  exists  for  the  man  who  loves  his  work, 
for  he  is  thinking  of  that  which  now  ought  to  be 
done,  which  cries  for  expression.  Thus  if  we 
learn  from  nature  we  live  chiefly  in  the  present, 
although  gazing  towards  the  flying  goal  which 
draws  us  ever  on.  To  make  a  spurt  is  ordinarily 
speaking  to  lose  time  and  strength.  Real  work 
means  the  overcoming  of  difficulties  that  stand 
directly  in  our  path.  It  is  irksome  to  most  people 
to  take  pains,  hence  they  seek  time  and  labour- 
saving  devices  in  directions  where  sheer  concentra- 


The  Nature  of  Human  Work      175 

tion  on  details  and  persistence  are  called  for.  But 
the  more  thoroughness  a  man  puts  into  his  work 
the  greater  will  be  his  reward.  The  inertia  felt 
by  those  who  do  not  take  pains  is  often  due  to  the 
pressure  of  unorganised  energy  imprisoned  within. 
They  suppose  that  more  time  for  rest  is  needed. 
But  the  moral  is,  transmute  this  energy  into  per- 
formance by  finding  work  to  do  that  enlists  the 
activities  to  the  full.  It  is  work,  not  rest,  that  is 
the  salvation  of  the  soul.  Rest  is  a  means,  not  an 
end. 

The  efficient  worker,  then,  is  one  who  ever  puts 
more  and  more  thought  into  his  work  that  he  may 
take  the  far  look  ahead,  adapt  his  hours  to  the 
task  before  him,  husband  his  forces,  and  make  use 
of  the  responsive  powers  of  the  organism.  He  is 
willing  to  make  effort,  that  is,  to  concentrate 
without  limit,  his  reward  being  the  discovery  of 
more  favourable  modes  of  expression  of  his  powers. 
He  knows  when  it  is  wise  to  rest,  when  by  an  act 
of  will  to  push  forward,  or  depend  upon  his  second 
wind.  He  is  sure  to  work  enough  to  find  full  out- 
let for  his  powers,  thereby  avoiding  the  ennui  of 
those  who  are  nervous  or  self-centred.  Thus  for 
him  work  is  a  panacea  as  well  as  a  means  of  liveli- 
hood and  a  joy.  Absorbed  in  his  work,  he  is  spared 
many  of  the  tribulations  that  beset  the  idle,  the 
neurasthenic,  and  the  selfish.  Thus  dedicated  he  is 
also  likely  to  be  more  genuinely  religious  than  those 


176  Human  Efficiency 

who  make  of  religion  a  self-conscious  possession. 
His  work,  in  brief,  expresses  individuality,  and 
to  be  an  individual  is  to  find  life  wholly  worth 
while. 

These  principles  are  all  very  well  for  those  who 
have  time  and  money  to  carry  them  out,  the  critic 
will  say,  but  what  of  the  men  and  women  who  must 
labour  incessantly  under  adverse  conditions? 
There  is  indeed  a  difference  between  work  in  tne 
ideal  sense  and  mere  labour  or  drudgery.  It  is  dif- 
ficult for  any  one  to  rise  above  routine.  It  is  hard 
to  persuade  those  who  are  merely  "busy"  that 
there  is  a  better  way  and  a  best  way.  But  there 
are  times  between,  opportunities  for  thought  even 
in  the  busiest  life.  Those  who  lack  the  capacity  to 
think  for  themselves  or  to  develop  better  methods 
of  work  can  be  assisted  by  those  who  are  able  to 
think.  There  is  no  life  of  mere  routine  that  can- 
not be  bettered.  It  is  neither  a  question  of  time 
nor  of  money,  primarily  speaking,  but  of  thought. 
Thought  does  not  occupy  space  and  does  not 
require  time  taken  away  from  other  matters,  but 
may  be  added  to  the  busiest  hour,  and  it  can 
transcend  the  dullest  routine. 

There  are  indeed  kinds  of  work  that  require 
time  and  leisure,  otherwise  such  work  cannot  be 
done  at  all.  For  example,  the  genuine  artist  cannot 
paint  a  picture  in  a  hurry,  but  must  be  free  from 
nervousness,  able  to  command  various  favourable 


The  Nature  of  Human  Work      177 

conditions.  There  will  be  days  when  he  cannot 
work,  times  when  a  slight  occurrence  will  throw 
him  out  of  mood  for  the  day.  Likewise  in  the  case 
of  the  writer  there  are  essential  conditions,  al- 
though the  author  can  overcome  more  annoyances 
than  the  artist.  But  when  a  writer  or  scholar  is 
thinking  out  a  subject  scientifically  he  must  be 
able  in  large  measure  to  control  his  circumstances. 
To  teach  a  subject  scientifically  one  must  have 
time  and  freedom.  The  same  is  true  of  many 
kinds  of  executive  and  legislative  work,  together 
with  the  work  of  the  professions.  It  would  be 
folly  to  introduce  time-schedules  into  such  work, 
insisting  that  the  carefully  prepared  plan  to  fill 
the  entire  day  shall  be  carried  out  to  the  letter. 
It  is  purely  a  question  of  quality.  Time  is  a 
servant,  not  a  master. 

Nevertheless,  there  are  kinds  of  work  that  are  es- 
pecially adapted  to  schedules.  Hence  the  problem 
is  one  of  efficiency  within  the  conditions  imposed 
by  the  world  of  affairs  and  the  great  industries. 
The  housewife  must  perform  a  large  proportion 
of  her  duties  on  time,  and  plan  parts  of  her  day 
very  carefully;  yet  always  with  reservations  in 
favour  of  types  of  work  that  require  leisure.  The 
farmer  must  be  ready  to  change  his  work  at  short 
notice,  and  he  may  not  know  at  night-time  what  he 
is  likely  to  do  on  the  following  day.  But  for  most 
of  us  both  the  tasks  and  the  hours  are  assigned. 


178  Human  Efficiency 

Hence  it  is  a  question  of  wise  use  of  energy  within 
the  assigned  conditions. 

Undoubtedly  no  condition  is  so  complex  as  that 
presented  by  the  home.  Hence  we  may  well 
consider  it  more  at  length.  Can  scientific  manage- 
ment be  applied  to  the  home?  Would  it  be  possible 
to  make  a  study  of  all  housewifely  activities  and 
draw  up  a  schedule  so  as  to  save  time,  materials, 
and  money?  At  first  thought  the  undertaking 
seems  wholly  impossible,  since  the  housewife  must 
do  forty  things  in  a  day  and,  knowing  from  long 
experience  how  everything  should  be  done,  she  is 
likely  to  resent  a  plan  which  seems  intended  to  get 
more  work  out  of  her.  Yet  the  housewife  who 
believes  she  has  learned  the  best  way  would  admit 
that  she  acquired  the  art  slowly  and  that  there 
is  still  room  for  improvement.  Granted  that  she 
must  do  forty  things  in  a  day,  jumping  from  one 
to  another,  here  is  a  problem  pertaining  to  a 
special  kind  of  work.  Granted  that  she  is  busy 
from  the  time  she  gets  up  until  she  goes  to  bed 
late  at  night,  it  is  nevertheless  a  question  how  this 
sort  of  work  can  best  be  done.  No  one  would 
expect  to  solve  the  problem  in  a  moment.  Per- 
haps in  due  time  it  will  be  solved  by  those  who 
live  near  enough  to  one  another  to  co-operate  by 
putting  more  kinds  of  work  out  of  the  home.  With 
the  central  heating-plant,  the  central  laundry,  the 
source  of  power  for  running  the  vacuum  cleaner, 


The  Nature  of  Human  Work      179 

and  other  modern  inventions,  there  will  be  more 
opportunities  within  the  home  for  the  essentially 
human  interests.  Meanwhile,  it  is  a  question  of  the 
best  use  of  the  resources  at  hand.  Surely,  no 
scientific  student  of  these  problems  would  wish  to 
get  more  out  of  the  housewife,  but  would  see  her 
less  fatigued  and  happier  at  the  close  of  the  day, 
with  more  accomplished.  The  statement  seems 
absurd.  But  so  did  the  promises  first  held  out  to 
artisans  who  by  dint  of  much  persuasion  were  led 
to  try  the  new  methods  developed  by  "time- 
planners"  and  others  who  had  studied  the  work 
in  question.  The  woman  who  has  the  intellec- 
tual capacity  to  think  the  matter  out  and  try  the 
new  methods  will  be  the  one  to  help  the  others. 
Such  a  woman  knows  that  when  there  are  many 
things  to  be  done  much  depends  on  keeping  one's 
head,  letting  the  head  save  feet  and  hands,  and 
co-ordinating  the  various  activities  about  the 
house  so  as  to  avoid  covering  the  same  ground 
many  times.  If  by  taking  these  matters  under 
consideration  she  is  able  to  be  a  little  more  patient, 
less  nervous,  more  contented,  there  will  be  some- 
thing gained.  A  calm  interior  will  thus  become 
the  starting-point  for  better  planning. 

To  save  energy  rather  than  time  should  then  be 
the  first  object.  With  this  in  view  more  attention 
should  be  given  to  the  arrangement  of  utensils,  the 
storage  of  supplies,  and  the  adjustment  of  different 


i8o  Human  Efficiency 

branches  of  work.  If  utensils  are  arranged  accord- 
ing to  the  frequency  with  which  they  are  used,  and 
if  they  are  readily  accessible,  the  chances  are  that 
some  can  be  dispensed  with,  while  for  others 
improved  inventions  will  be  substituted.  The 
thoughtful  housewife  may  object  at  first  to  the 
vacuum  cleaner  or  the  fireless  cooker,  for  fidelity 
to  the  good  old  ways  is  strong.  But  a  trial  leads 
to  reconsideration,  and  the  steady  introduction 
of  improvements  means  a  saving  in  energy,  and 
eventually  a  saving  of  time.  Some  of  these  are 
expensive  at  first,  but  are  economical  in  the  end. 
The  substitution  of  the  dry-mop  and  the  dustless 
duster  for  the  old-fashioned  feather  duster  did  not 
simply  mean  a  cleaner  house. 

The  alert  mother  enlists  the  services  of  children 
and  others  in  the  house  when  they  are  passing 
empty-handed  and  can  easily  carry  needed  articles 
to  another  room.  She  teaches  even  the  youngest 
children  to  bear  some  part  in  the  housework,  for 
their  sakes  as  well  as  for  her  own.  She  saves  the 
time  of  the  father,  and  also  accommodates  herself 
to  his  work,  by  posting  a  list  of  repairs  and  other 
necessary  services  which  he  can  attend  to  whenever 
it  is  most  convenient  for  him  during  the  day  or  the 
week.  When  buying  supplies  she  purchases  by 
the  wholesale  if  this  be  desirable,  hence  she  saves 
annoyance.  But  she  depends  on  purchases  made 
day  by  day  in  cases  where  this  is  more  convenient. 


The  Nature  of  Human  Work      181 

If  she  orders  by  telephone  she  first  investigates 
that  she  may  know  of  whom  to  order,  hence  she 
may  dismiss  still  further  details  from  her  mind. 
On  principle  she  breaks  from  her  work  a  little 
while  each  day,  even  if  she  can  go  no  farther 
than  a  room  seldom  used  or  into  the  garden. 

On  the  housewife  the  atmosphere  of  the  home 
chiefly  depends,  and  the  responsibility  is  indeed 
serious.  She  is  subject  to  change  without  notice, 
whatever  she  may  have  on  hand,  and  is  supposed 
to  retain  her  sweetness,  hold  her  patience,  and 
maintain  good  cheer  whatever  happens.  Yet  she 
is  the  person  who  is  able  to  do  this.  It  is  not  a 
situation  to  shrink  from  but  one  to  meet  with 
composure  and  faith.  What  the  housewife  needs 
is  not  only  the  wisdom  which  her  own  work  gives 
her  but  the  incentives  that  can  be  gained  by 
learning  the  principles  on  which  others  work.  The 
art  of  housework  implies  an  art  of  life,  hence  a 
science,  and  a  scale  of  values  or  standard  by  which 
to  test  the  relative  worth  of  things  and  activities 
within  the  home.  The  woman  who  is  worn  out  with 
over-scrupulous  attention  to  one  thing  may  well 
consider  whether  she  is  neglecting  what  is  most 
important.  The  duties  that  must  be  performed  on 
time  naturally  regulate  to  a  large  extent  the  house- 
hold activities,  while  other  activities  may  be  inter- 
spersed at  odd  moments  with  little  thought  of 
time.  There  are  other  duties  that  can  be  grouped 


1 82  Human  Efficiency 

in  such  a  way  as  to  save  time,  energy,  and  patience. 
The  maintenance  of  a  contented  spirit  bespeaking 
inner  control  calls  forth  a  harmonious  spirit  from 
others.  One  who  carries  a  consciousness  of  the 
connectedness  of  everything  in  the  home  is  able 
to  spare  herself  at  many  points.  The  difficulty 
with  some  who  seem  unable  to  improve  their 
conditions  is  that  they  have  no  method,  but  merely 
do  one  thing  by  itself,  then  turn  to  another  that 
happens  to  be  at  hand. 

The  woman  who  thinks  is  able  to  add  any  num- 
ber of  interests  to  the  central  one,  namely,  being 
a  good  wife  and  mother.  Thus  she  is  not  actually 
doing  forty  things  in  a  day  but  just  one  thing  with 
many  branches,  each  one  of  which  is  contributory. 
She  who  is  at  unity  with  herself  will  manifest  this 
harmony  in  whatever  she  does.  If  peace  prevails 
at  the  centre  it  will  be  revealed  in  the  face  and  the 
responses  it  enlists.  It  is  never  the  mere  work  or 
the  multiplicity  of  things  to  be  done  that  most 
rapidly  exhausts  the  energies  at  hand;  it  is  the 
way  the  work  is  done,  the  sort  of  life  that  pre- 
vails at  the  centre.  Efficiency  is  not  merely  a 
question  of  capacity  and  training  Where  there 
is  love  and  interest  there  is  a  way.  Some  of  the 
most  efficient  housewives  in  the  world  are  those 
who  have  developed  what  powers  they  have  in 
fullest  degree  without  complaint  because  they 
have  no  other  powers. 


The  Nature  of  Human  Work      183 

If  these  principles  can  be  applied  in  the  home, 
surely  they  may  be  put  to  use  in  all  phases  of 
human  work.  The  main  points  for  every  worker 
at  the  outset  are  briefly  as  follows:  (i)  an  attitude 
of  willingness  both  to  work  and  to  learn,  an  open- 
mindedness  or  responsiveness;  -(2)  adaptation  to 
the  conditions  imposed,  the  methods  in  vogue,  the 
schedules  employed ;  (3)  concentration  on  the  work 
a(t  hand,  that  it  may  be  well  done,  with  economy 
of  motions  with  rhythmic  rather  than  spasmodic 
activities ;  (4)  preservation  of  a  calm  interior,  free- 
dom from  nervousness  and  a  sense  of  hurry,  a 
reposeful  state  of  mind  corresponding  to  the  regu- 
larity of  motion  required  for  the  given  task;  and 
(5)  the  play  of  thought  or  imagination  which 
enables  the  mind  to  rise  above  mere  routine  and 
physical  fatigue,  give  heed  to  the  higher  values 
of  life,  and  reflect  upon  the  conditions  within  and 
without  that  make  for  improvement. 

For  the  man  who  is  able  to  adjust  his  time  as  he 
likes  the  problem  of  work  is  as  truly  a  moral  one  as 
for  the  manual  labourer  who  does  what  he  is  told 
and  when  told.  Apparently  nothing  could  be  more 
delightful  than  to  be  able  to  work  or  not  as  the 
spirit  moves.  But  the  conditions  that  must  be 
met  and  conquered  are  far  more  numerous  for  the 
supposed  man  of  leisure.  He  is  really  free  who  has 
earned  the  right  by  conquering  himself  and  his 
inner  circumstances.  Everything  depends  upon 


1 84  Human  Efficiency 

the  possession  of  a  purpose  of  sufficient  strength 
to  call  the  powers  at  command  into  co-ordination. 
The  man  with  a  standard  will  persistently  work  to 
attain  the  standard  whether  his  time  be  at  his 
command  or  not.  To  have  a  scale  of  values  re- 
vealing an  end  that  is  worth  while  is  to  be  superior 
to  time  and  to  many  other  conditions,  intent  on 
realising  the  ideal. 

In  other  words,  the  mere  conditions  of  work  are 
never  decisive  in  any  sphere.  The  chief  factor 
is  the  workman.  For  each  class,  type,  tempera- 
ment, vocation,  or  profession,  there  is  an  art.  He 
who  loves  his  work  will  find  a  way  to  do  it  well. 
He  who  thinks  can  master  the  art  which  his 
specialism  implies.  For  every  labourer,  however  op- 
pressed, there  are  the  relaxations  and  compensa- 
tions of  the  mental  world.  Of  very  great  importance 
for  every  one  is  the  discovery  that  a  rebellious 
attitude,  inner  friction,  a  spirit  of  driving  haste, 
exhausts  the  energies  far  more  rapidly  than  the 
merely  physical  exertion.  He  labours  well  who 
works  rhythmically  with  a  contented  mind.  The 
economic  problems  that  remain  to  be  solved  can 
best  be  considered  on  other  occasions,  when  the  dis- 
tress they  cause  shall  not  mar  the  hours  of  labour. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  EFFICIENT  WILL 

"t  A  LL  the  world  is  a  little  queer  save  thee 
/*  and  me,"  said  the  felicitous  Quaker,  "and 
sometimes  even  thee  is  a  little  queer. "  Again,  we 
hear  it  said  that  all  men  are  more  or  less  insane. 
Perhaps  this  explains  why  so  few  have  seriously 
undertaken  to  examine  all  the  conditions  that 
make  for  sanity.  Every  specialist  is  said  to  be 
insane  concerning  his  specialism.  To  make  sanity 
a  subject  of  direct  study  might  be  to  render  a 
person  open  to  still  more  serious  charges.  Sanity 
at  any  rate  pertains  to  the  whole  of  life,  whereas 
most  of  us  are  narrow,  one-sided,  often  wilfully 
loyal.  Is  it  possible  to  be  wholly  sane  yet  do  our 
work  in  the  world?  It  would  seem  so,  if  we  can 
attain  the  right  adjustment  between  the  individual 
and  society,  between  the  particular  and  the  univer- 
sal. That  is,  sanity  would  appear  to  be  largely  a 
question  of  the  will ;  for  although  to  be  sane  is  to  be 
rational,  nevertheless  the  actual  adjustment  of  the 
will  to  the  forces  that  play  upon  the  organism  is 
the  real  test.  Therefore  it  is  important  to  under- 

185 


1 86  Human  Efficiency 

take  a  more  thorough  inquiry  into  the  nature  of 
the  will. 

A  friend  whose  sister  was  moderately  insane 
made  a  tour  of  institutions  in  which  the  demented 
were  cared  for,  and  in  the  hospital  which  had  the 
largest  percentage  of  cures  she  was  told  by  the 
physician  in  charge  that  he  traced  insanity  in  many 
cases  to  a  will  that  had  never  been  controlled. 
That  is,  the  condition  dated  to  childhood,  to  the 
time  when  the  child  should  be  taught  to  obey. 
In  order  to  teach  obedience  this  wise  physician 
deprived  his  patients  of  various  comforts  and 
articles  of  food  until  they  should  learn  to  respect, 
not  his  will,  but  the  unwritten  laws  of  the  insti- 
tution. He  then  proceeded  to  build  on  this  initial 
structure  of  obediences.  My  friend's  sister  was  of 
the  self-assertive  type,  so  was  my  friend,  and  she 
knew  that  this  conclusion  in  regard  to  the  untrained 
will  was  perfectly  just,  how  be  it  there  had  been  a 
special  cause  for  her  sister's  illness.  This  is  indeed 
a  painful  discovery  to  make  late  in  life. * 

If  there  were  more  wisdom,  instead  of  trying 
to  break  our  wills,  or  giving  us  up  as  too  difficult 
and  allowing  us  to  be  disobedient,  our  parents 
would  begin  by  studying  and  mastering  the  will 
in  themselves,  for  we  acknowledge  that  no  one 
can  command  who  has  not  learned  to  obey.  The 

1  Some  of  the  causes  of  insanity  are  forcibly  stated  by  Mr. 
Homer  Folks,  in  the  American  Review  of  Reviews,  May,  1911. 


The  Efficient  Will  187 

foundation  of  obedience  is  knowledge  and  accept- 
ance of  natural  law.  One  learns  to  obey,  not 
people,  but  the  universe,  the  moral  law.  The 
universe  speaks  through  instinct,  through  pain, 
remorse,  doubt,  desire,  a  thousand  mental  and 
physical  reactions  through  which  we  are  brought 
in  contact  with  real  life.  If  I  learn  the  lesson 
through  actual  conduct  I  shall  be  able  to  give  others 
the  benefit  of  my  experience.  Hence  it  should  be 
possible  to  aid  the  will  in  childhood  to  evolve  into 
obedience  and  usefulness.  For  the  will,  striving 
through  all  the  experiences  of  life,  is  the  power 
that  eventually  enables  us  to  attain.  The  difficulty 
usually  is  that  our  knowledge  of  the  successive 
conditions  does  not  equal  the  power  that  struggles 
and  strives. 

As  we  have  before  noted,  the  will  makes  its 
appearance  as  the  central  activity  in  the  stream 
of  consciousness,  intimately  allied  with  desire, 
receiving  incentives  from  instinct,  guided  by  the 
heart,  and  assuming  progressive  forms  through 
our  aspirations  or  ideals  and  the  achievements  of 
the  intellect.  At  once  a  source  of  misery  and  of 
strength,  the  whole  history  of  human  character 
is  involved  in  its  actions  and  reactions.  We  are 
most  likely  to  understand  it  by  considering  certain 
of  its  simpler  phases,  and  then  as  we  turn  to  its 
more  complex  life  by  taking  care  not  to  separate 
its  contests  and  victories  from  the  moral  issues 


1 88  Human  Efficiency 

in  which  the  heart  of  human  experience  is  involved. 
In  some  people,  for  example,  the  problem  of  the 
will  is  inseparably  allied  with  an  exceedingly 
sensitive  temperament.  On  the  surface  this 
appears  to  be  a  question  of  weakness  of  will.  Then 
there  are  those  who  are  temperamentally  positive, 
hence  of  strong  will.  The  one  appears  to  make  too 
little  of  the  will  while  the  other  makes  too  much. 
Yet  self-assertion  plays  its  part  in  both  types. 
Then  there  is  the  question  of  the  obstinate  will, 
the  problem  of  freedom,  and  of  moral  regeneration. 

Looking  first  at  the  will  on  the  side  of  its  unruli- 
ness,  we  are  constrained  to  acknowledge  that, 
whether  sensitive  or  strenuous,  obstinate  or  weak, 
there  is  in  us  all  a  fairly  large  element  of  inertia 
bound  up  with  this  lump  of  clay.  Most  of  us 
like  to  be  waited  on,  and  if  we  can  command  the 
resources  we  are  not  only  pleased  that  others 
should  serve  us,  but  we  intend  to  command  as 
long  as  possible.  When  ill  we  are  content  to  have 
the  utmost  made  of  our  aches  and  pains,  unless 
experience  has  taught  us  more  than  common 
wisdom.  The  wits  of  physicians  and  ministers  of 
all  schools  are  taxed  to  the  utmost  in  the  endeavour 
to  arouse  the  selfish  will.  The  problem  of  the 
arousing  of  the  will  is  indeed  the  problem  of  human 
life. 

Note,  however,  what  happens  in  the  homes  of 
the  poor  where  "necessity  is  the  mother  of  inven- 


The  Efficient  Will  189 

tion, "  where  the  will  must  find  a  way  to  overcome 
fleshly  inertia.  Again,  we  have  all  heard  instances 
of  remarkable  changes  when,  to  save  their  own 
life  or  the  life  of  another,  it  was  necessary  for 
people  to  rise  from  a  bed  of  illness,  rapidly  dress, 
and  drag  a  trunk  out  of  a  burning  building,  or 
exercise  uncommon  strength  in  a  daring  rescue. 
A  yellow-fever  patient  in  a  southern  hospital  is 
reported  to  have  overheard  the  attendant  physi- 
cian asking  the  nurse  if  he  had  given  orders  regard- 
ing the  disposition  of  his  body.  Forthwith,  this 
supposably  dying  man  summoned  the  nurse  to 
say  with  much  emphasis  that  he  was  not  through 
with  his  body  yet,  but  would  take  care  of  it  himself. 
Thus  to  be  aroused  in  earnestness  of  will  was  to 
turn  the  tide  of  activity  in  favour  of  life  at  the 
critical  juncture.  Again,  it  was  a  woman  of 
eighty  who  had  a  severe  fall  and  was  informed  by 
the  physician  that  she  must  lie  still  in  bed  six 
weeks  before  she  could  walk.  This  sterling  New 
Englander  at  once  replied,  "Well,  I  won't."  In- 
side of  three  weeks  she  was  up  and  walking,  ready 
to  take  a  railway  journey  of  ninety  miles,  and 
without  subsequent  ill-effects.  I  knew  this  woman 
well  and  her  whole  history  was  a  record  of  similar 
triumphs.  She  was  not  rash,  although  sometimes 
called  "headstrong."  Married  very  young,  she 
reared  a  family  of  five  strong-minded  children,  did 
the  housework  until  she  was  seventy-five,  and  in 


190  Human  Efficiency 

every  way  exemplified  the  victorious  will.  When 
her  time  came  to  die  at  the  age  of  eighty -eight,  the 
decision  to  go  appeared  to  be  largely  her  own.  At 
least,  those  who  were  with  her  said  that  she 
seemed  to  "hurry  herself  out  of  this  life"  because 
it  was  no  longer  possible  for  her  to  be  in  the  house- 
hold that  was  most  congenial.  However  this  may 
be,  it  is  plain  that  the  will  in  such  a  case  has  a 
deeply  impressive  history.  Of  such  quality  were 
those  hardy  ancestors  of  ours  who  reared  the  first 
homes  on  the  shores  of  New  England. 

Such  instances  suggest  the  sober  thought  that 
we  do  not  half  exercise  our  volitional  powers. 
Usually  in  the  cases  of  extreme  illness  sometimes 
reported,  when  life  appears  to  be  hanging  by  a 
thread,  the  will  to  go  would  probably  be  followed 
by  death,  like  the  snapping  of  a  cord.  But  we 
ordinarily  hear  about  the  will  to  remain,  and  the 
subsequent  readjustment.  The  will  to  die  may 
have  prevailed  in  thousands  of  instances  of  which 
we  know  nothing.  Possibly  the  will  has  power 
approaching  that  of  the  gospel  statement  in  regard 
to  taking  up  life  and  laying  it  down.  If  we  were 
more  calm,  with  more  power  over  all  the  emotions, 
we  might  be  able  greatly  to  increase  the  scope  of 
the  will. 

What  happens  when  the  will  triumphs,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  elderly  woman  who  rose  from  her  bed 
the  first  day  nature  would  permit?  Evidently, 


The  Efficient  Will  191 

there  was  little  inertia  in  this  life  of  uncommon 
usefulness  and  power.  It  hardly  need  be  said 
that  she  was  a  progressive,  alert  woman  who 
always  acted  promptly,  and  who  thus  habitually 
brought  her  full  powers  into  play.  On  occasion, 
it  was  but  natural  that  she  should  have  power  to 
banish  any  ordinary  illness,  and  in  more  serious 
instances  to  enter  into  full  co-operation  with 
nature. 

In  case  of  the  sudden  impetus  to  save  life,  or 
the  shock  produced  by  the  physician  who  arouses 
an  indulgent  invalid  into  self-helpfulness,  the 
impetus  breaks  through  and  overcomes  the  inertia, 
establishing  a  new  centre  of  equilibrium.  "Noth- 
ing venture,  nothing  have,"  is  an  old  saying  that 
applies  here.  If,  when  in  doubt,  oppressed  by 
conflicting  alternatives  we  put  ourselves  in  motion, 
we  are  usually  able  to  make  a  start,  and  thus  gain 
sufficient  headway  to  go  on  to  success.  If  unwilling 
to  make  the  initial  effort,  or  if  no  favouring  incident 
absorb  the  attention,  we  remain  practically  the 
same,  mayhap  inert  for  years.  Yet,  if  we  possessed 
more  understanding  of  these  matters,  we  might  be 
able  to  rouse  ourselves  into  activity  even  when  the 
favouring  incident  is  lacking.  As  rational  beings, 
the  will  to  act  should  follow  the  acceptance  of  the 
truth  or  the  feeling  that  we  ought. 

What  we  call  the  "obstinate  will"  is  as  much  in 
evidence  here  as  the  triumphant  will.  I  knew 


1 92  Human  Efficiency 

another  elderly  woman  who  was  heard  to  confess 
when  past  threescore,  conservative  to  the  last 
degree,  wrinkled,  unhappy  save  when  eating  or 
when  conversing  with  an  old-time  friend,  that 
after  her  marriage  she  resolved  that  her  husband 
never  should  manage  her.  This  resolution,  firmly 
held  to  throughout  her  married  life,  was  made 
because  she  overheard  her  husband  assure  a  friend 
that  it  was  his  intention  to  govern  his  wife.  During 
the  long  life  of  tolerable  affection  and  harmony 
that  ensued  she  kept  this  determination  with  a 
persistency  that  was  little  softened  by  love,  but 
which  marked  itself  in  her  face  and  narrowed  her 
life  beyond  measure.  Her  children  were  progres- 
sive, and  indulged  in  any  number  of  new  ideas  and 
methods  against  which  she  set  her  face  with  grim 
fidelity  to  the  good  old  ways.  The  result  was  an 
increasing  struggle  which  ceased  only  with  her 
death,  at  the  end  of  an  earthly  life  shortened 
perhaps  by  ten  years  through  this  obstinate  asser- 
tion of  the  will.  It  seems  beyond  human  power  in 
such  cases  to  speak  even  the  word  of  love  which 
thrills  the  heart  and  enables  the  will  to  become 
constructive.  There  are  people  who,  when  their 
"minds  are  made  up,"  as  we  say,  never  change, 
and  we  must  approach  with  extreme  care  lest  we 
make  a  false  touch.  They  are  not  people  of  wide 
information,  hence  the  lines  of  approach  are 
exceedingly  few.  They  possess  the  will  but  not 


The  Efficient  Will  193 

the  enlightenment,  the  requisite  strength  of  char- 
acter yet  not  the  means  of  growth.  Hence  habit 
accomplishes  its  most  conservative  work  by  en- 
crusting them  in  a  mass  of  crystallised  opinions  and 
convictions.  Our  general  human  attitude  in 
regard  to  declining  powers  and  old  age  makes  it 
the  more  difficult  to  show  that  "it  is  never  too  late 
to  mend." 

Is  it  hard,  do  you  say,  that  the  second  of  these 
women  should  round  out  her  days  in  wrinkled 
obstinacy  simply  because  she  rebelled  in  the 
beginning  and  then  acquired  the  habit?  Why  not 
put  the  blame  on  the  husband  who  loved  her  so 
little  that  he  was  bent  on  managing  her,  or  on  the 
parents  who  long  before  made  so  little  of  their 
child  that  at  a  marriageable  age  she  had  few  intel- 
lectual resources?  Stern  in  deepest  truth  is  the 
law  which  thus  spreads  its  power  over  a  life-time. 
But  look  at  the  other  picture,  of  the  woman  who 
faithfully  met  each  opportunity,  adapting  her  will 
to  the  promptings  of  nature,  rising  from  her  bed 
in  triumphant  exercise  of  the  human  spirit,  work- 
ing in  cheerful  service,  strong  in  faith,  progressive 
and  free.  For  us  who  would  triumph  the  way 
surely  is  clear. 

No  less  instructive  is  the  so-called  weak  will, 

a  term  that  is  sometimes  misapplied,  since  what  is 

lacking  is  not  mental  stamina  but  physical  strength. 

In  such  a  person's  life  there  are  usually  interests 

13 


194  Human  Efficiency 

enough,  but  they  have  not  been  called  into  effi- 
ciency. Sometimes,  there  is  an  over-cautious  desire 
to  know  precisely  how  a  proposed  undertaking 
will  develop  before  a  start  is  made, hence  the  favour- 
ing tide  sweeps  by  unrecognised.  Again,  there 
is  a  mistaken  idea  of  guidance,  as  if  conscience  or 
God  were  expected  to  tell  precisely  what  we  should 
do.  This  shirking  of  responsibility  easily  runs  into 
the  fatalistic  assumption  that  there  is  but  one 
course  we  can  pursue,  namely,  the  one  we  are 
driven  into  when  an  inner  feeling  impels  us  to  act. 
Thus  to  surrender  the  prerogatives  of  the  moral 
life  is  to  grow  weak  at  the  point  where  we  should 
be  most  strong.  The  corrective  is  found  in  the 
unmistakable  fact  that  we  stand  in  the  face  of 
alternatives,  hence  that  even  when  we  feel  what 
we  take  to  be  an  impulsion  from  God  that  relieves 
us  of  all  responsibility  we  really  make  the  alterna- 
tive our  own.  The  man  who  takes  even  the  slight 
chances  that  offer  and  forges  ahead,  grows  strong 
through  successive  acts  of  responsibility  consciously 
chosen.  By  taking  an  alternative,  or  acting  upon 
a  resolution  about  as  soon  as  made,  he  is  able  to 
co-ordinate  his  mental  powers,  hence  grow  in 
strength  of  will. 

In  relation  to  his  family,  the  man  with  a  so- 
called  weak  will  is  apt  to  assent  too  frequently, 
yield  too  much,  hence  even  his  affections  become 
negative.  When  the  individual  who  has  long 


The  Efficient  Will  195 

yielded  for  the  sake  of  harmony  at  last  undertakes 
to  be  more  assertive,  the  attempt  is  likely  to  be 
made  in  an  unfortunate  way,  under  the  assumption 
that  the  will  is  a  separate  power  to  be  independ- 
ently affirmed.  The  result  may  be  a  second  state 
worse  than  the  first,  when  the  weak  will  encounters 
a  strong  one  which  has  long  held  sway. 

.  Another  way  to  put  the  matter  is  to  say  that  the 
weak  will  has  too  many  inhibitions.  Hence  the 
power  that  might  be  spent  in  action  is  devoted 
to  checking  alternatives  that  might  plunge  one 
into  controversy  or  pain.  The  policy  of  delay 
weakens  the  will,  in  contrast  with  that  strength  of 
character  which  in  other  people  enables  a  person 
to  face  the  issues  at  once.  Again,  there  is  dread  of 
the  irrevocable,  hence  through  irresoluteness  and 
inability  to  make  a  provisional  decision  action  is 
postponed  until  vacillation  becomes  a  habit.  *  The 
will  is  also  weakened  through  non-resistant  recep- 
tivity, too  great  emphasis  on  silence,  and  negative 
self-sacrifice. 

The  resource  is  to  look  more  deeply  into  the 
nature  of  the  will.  The  weak-willed  person  is 
likely  to  prove  as  persistent  and  strong  as  any  other 
when  the  habit  of  diffusiveness  is  overcome;  but 
the  persistency  is  expressed  through  gentleness, 
quiet  confidence,  the  conviction  that  higher 
methods  will  triumph.  This  persistence  in  well- 

1  See  James,  Psychology,  ii.,  530. 


196  Human  Efficiency 

doing  may  lead  to  a  day  when  everything  shall  be 
plastic.  For  a  person  of  this  temper  may  learn 
easily  and  quietly  the  lesson  which  is  so  hard  for 
the  self-assertive  individual,  the  lesson  of  obedi- 
ence. The  sensitivity  which  is  a  source  of  trouble 
during  a  long  period  of  evolution  in  character  may 
then  be  employed  in  the  highest  direction.  The 
knowledge  gained  through  quiet  study  will  become 
more  and  more  a  power,  analysis  will  clear  the 
way  where  assertion  could  not,  and  the  ways  of 
wisdom  will  prevail.  Thus  in  time  the  so-called 
weak  will  may  prove  unconquerable  even  in  rela- 
tion with  the  person  who  through  autocratic 
assertiveness  seemed  to  be  master  of  the  field. 
While  the  weak  man  is  finding  himself,  building 
for  the  years,  the  strenuous  one  is  preparing  for 
his  day  of  humiliation. 

Thus  in  a  measure  the  will  is  independent  of 
temperament,  and  the  real  problem  is  one  of  use  of 
will-power  through  wise  co-ordination.  The  in- 
stances and  types  we  have  examined  fail  to 
confirm  the  popular  notion  that  the  will  is  an  inde- 
pendent or  separate  power  to  be  merely  aroused  or 
affirmed.  Its  assertion  may  lead  to  as  much 
trouble  as  its  diffusion  through  excessive  restraint. 
It  is  more  truly  a  power  of  adaptation  that  can  be 
turned  from  apparent  weakness  or  strength  into 
real  efficiency.  Simply  to  attend,  to  observe  details 
and  combine  them,  is  in  a  sense  as  truly  to  will  as  to 


The  Efficient  Will  197 

be  obstinate.  As  co-ordinated  knowledge  increases 
there  is  less  need  for  assertion,  hence  the  will 
becomes  more  intelligent.  Moral  opportunities 
strengthen  character  so  that  simply  to  be  devoted 
to  an  ideal  is  to  grow.  The  will  is  also  strengthened 
by  persistent  effort  to  think  for  oneself.  To 
"invigorate  the  whole  nature,"  as  Carpenter 
ppints  out,  is  to  strengthen  the  will. x  Hence  there 
is  every  reason  to  regard  the  will  in  its  relationship 
to  the  entire  personality. 

It  is  impossible  to  reduce  all  modes  of  expressing 
the  will  to  a  single  type.  Some  people  are  naturally 
rebellious,  cantankerous.  Their  way  of  taking 
life,  by  complaining  and  making  objections  at 
every  turn,  is  fraught  with  misery  for  all  concerned. 
Observe  these  when  further  along  the  pathway 
and  you  may  find  them  breaking  through  the 
conservative  line  and  making  objection  where 
objection  is  worth  while,  setting  the  world  astir, 
and  introducing  reforms.  In  due  course  they 
become  as  adaptable  as  people  of  the  other  type, 
for  love  softens  their  wills,  they  become  tolerant 
and  charitable,  and  put  their  emotions  to  good  use. 

Representatives  of  the  other  type  are  usually 
long-suffering,  while  they  are  acquiring  strength 
through  endurance.  Less  conceited,  they  are  not 

'See  Mental  Physiology,  p.  424;  also,  Jules  Payot,  The  Edu- 
cation of  the  Will,  Eng.  trans.,  New  York,  Funk  and  Wagnalls, 
1910. 


198  Human  Efficiency 

heard  of  so  soon,  do  not  publish  their  merits  abroad, 
and  seldom  push  themselves  forward.  But  when 
aroused  they  are  often  more  quick  to  act  than  their 
self-assertive  brothers.  Fortune  conies  their  way 
after  a  time  and  they  are  known  as  lucky  people. 
Well  for  them  if  they  realise  that  in  the  stillness 
of  the  will  there  is  great  power.  Onlookers  wonder 
how  they  are  able  to  accomplish  so  much.  One 
of  the  secrets  is  found  in  the  fact  that  they  wait 
for  fruitions,  using  their  energies  effectively  by 
steadily  doing  what  is  in  their  power,  wasting  no 
time  over  matters  that  cannot  be  changed. 

Our  volitions  and  beliefs  are  so  intimately  con- 
nected that  we  do  not  and  cannot  change  our 
unfortunate  attitudes  of  will  while  hampered  by  a 
doctrine  such  as  pessimism,  or  weakened  by 
invertebrate  optimism.  The  will  expresses  the 
total  mind  as  well  as  the  whole  character.  A  house 
divided  against  itself  will  find  expression  in  a 
divided  will.  Men  of  varied  types  of  character 
find  opportunities  for  self-expression  in  numerous 
ways,  all  equally  good.  It  is  therefore  futile  to 
dogmatise.  If  the  will  needs  to  be  restrained  here, 
it  needs  to  be  called  forth  there.  What  arouses 
one  man  will  have  no  effect  on  another. 

In  all  men,  however,  the  will  is  partly  the  power 
to  make  effort,  although  there  is  no  independent 
"sense  of  effort. "  By  sheer  force  of  will  for  exam- 
ple, a  man  who  is  lacking  in  physical  strength 


The  Efficient  Will  199 

may  compel  his  organism  to  work  when  each  hour 
of  labour  is  painful.  The  second  day  the  work  may 
move  off  a  bit  more  easily,  while  the  second  week 
there  may  be  a  fair  degree  of  pleasure  in  the  exer- 
cise. The  third  may  find  him  stronger  both  in 
mind  and  body.  The  same  persistence  enables  one 
to  acquire  a  new  occupation.  In  like  manner 
pteople  break  through  ruts  and  begin  afresh  amidst 
customs  and  beliefs  that  seem  insuperable.  On 
occasion  one  throws  off  fatigue  in  order  to  plunge 
in  and  help  another  who  is  more  weary.  On  the 
whole,  we  like  to  think  of  the  will  as  breaking  its 
way  in  pioneer  fashion,  creating  opportunities, 
saying  "  I  can,"  while  onlookers  say,  "You  cannot." 
The  limits  of  the  will's  triumph  over  circumstances 
have  yet  to  be  discovered.  The  inertia  which 
sometimes  nearly  overwhelms  us  may  well  be 
regarded  as  a  moral  test  for  the  will. 

Nevertheless,  merely  to  say,"  I  will, "is  sometimes 
insufficient.  If  we  would  really  succeed  we  must 
choose  between  a  spasmodic  or  impulsive  expres- 
sion of  the  will,  and  the  endurance  or  resoluteness 
which  considers  the  best  means  to  the  given  end. 
For  in  reality,  as  we  have  noted  in  an  earlier  chap- 
ter, the  will  is  not  purely  elemental.  It  supervenes 
on  motions  already  in  play  through  reflex  actions 
and  instincts,  also  on  emotions  that  are  habitual 
or  are  brought  into  action  by  the  force  of  memory- 
images.  Professor  James  points  out  that  what 


200  Human  Efficiency 

calls  the  will  into  play  is  not  the  inner  push,  "the 
consciousness  of  innervation, "  but  the  image  or 
objective,  the  idea  in  which  one's  interest  is  ab- 
sorbed. There  is  no  doubt  an  anticipatory  image, 
followed  by  the  fiat  that  certain  consequences  shall 
become  actual,  but  the  idea  of  the  desired  end 
tends  to  become  all-sufficient.  Absence  of  any 
conflicting  motive  or  motion  is  often  the  decisive 
consideration.  "The  immense  majority  of  human 
decisions  are  decisions  without  effort. " * 

Always  there  are  two  or  more  sides  to  the  case. 
The  will,  we  have  noted,  functions  every  moment 
of  conscious  life;  it  is  not  a  "faculty"  that  becomes 
quiescent  when  we  are  merely  thinking,  or  while 
we  are  chiefly  aware  of  the  emotions  and  desires. 
The  will  is  the  man  and  the  problem  of  its  regenera- 
tion is  the  problem  of  the  total  salvation  of  the 
personality.  The  same  person  who  on  occasion 
triumphantly  makes  a  road  where  no  road  led 
before,  who  valiantly  faces  opposition,  or  pleads 
for  a  lost  cause,  may  in  other  connections  be  auto- 
cratic, domineering.  Some  people  appear  to  believe 
the  world  is  theirs  to  use  as  they  will,  at  least  they 
spend  their  time  trying  to  act  as  if  this  were  so. 
Well  for  the  victim  of  this  belief  that  experience 
compels  us  to  acknowledge  respects  in  which  we 
are  nothing  and  can  do  nothing. 

It  is  well  to  look  at  this  aspect  of  the  case  for  a 

'See  James,  Psychology,  ii.,  519-534. 


The  Efficient  Will  201 

moment.  If  at  times  the  will  can  ride  over  cir- 
cumstance, there  are  respects  in  which  nothing  in 
nature  can  be  ignored.  If  with  the  radical  indi- 
vidualist I  undertake  to  be  wholly  independent  of 
my  fellows,  I  shall  be  compelled  to  learn  the  lesson 
of  dependence  at  every  turn.  The  theologians 
^are  usually  ready  to  confirm  this  insignificance  of 
'the  will,  assuring  us  that  all  efficiency  is  vested  in 
God,  from  whom  comes  not  only  the  power  but 
the  grace  that  saves.  Indeed,  if  we  could  believe 
a  certain  school  of  theologians,  we  should  be  com- 
pelled to  say  that  the  possession  of  even  a  slight 
will  of  our  own  is  the  prime  trouble  with  us.  Some 
appear  eager  to  deprive  us  even  of  this,  insisting 
that  every  knee  shall  bow  in  acknowledgment  of 
authority.  And  if  we  do  not  then  feel  the  force 
of  our  littleness,  there  is  a  school  of  moralists  ready 
to  show  that  the  possession  of  freedom  is  by  no 
means  creditable,  since  real  freedom  consists, 
not  in  doing  what  we  wish,  but  in  complete  obedi- 
ence to  the  law  of  righteousness.  To  be  free,  we 
are  further  assured,  is  not  to  create  the  alternatives 
of  our  moral  consciousness,  for  these  are  supplied 
by  experience;  what  we  are  free  to  do  is  simply 
to  drop  back  in  the  scale,  ceasing  for  the  time 
to  be  persons.  Hence  the  highest  spiritual  ex- 
ample voices  itself  in  the  prayer,  "Not  my  will 
but  thine  be  done,"  and  always  qualifies  any 
request  by  adding,  "nevertheless,  if  it  be  thy 


2O2  Human  Efficiency 

will. "     Then  the  poet,  voicing  the  great  mystery 
sings, 

Our  wills  are  ours,  we  know  not  how, 
Our  wills  are  ours  to  make  them  thine. 

The  new  psychology  lowers  the  claims  of  the 
will  as  already  indicated,  by  pointing  out  that  the 
will  is  to  a  considerable  extent  merely  a  power  to 
pay  attention  supervening  upon  activities  already 
in  motion,  while  the  organism  with  its  system  of 
habits  accomplishes  the  work.  This  is  seen  in 
physical  modes  of  behaviour  in  which  the  will 
does  nothing  more  than  issue  the  mere  fiat,  or 
give  heed  to  the  goal  to  be  attained.  The  will  in 
itself  is  powerless  to  move  even  a  muscle,  to  touch 
an  organ  or  even  a  nerve.  In  this  respect  it  is 
limited  to  local  activity  corresponding  to  the 
responses  of  the  brain.  When  habits  have  been 
acquired  the  will  does  not  even  make  sensible 
effort.  In  case  of  an  unusually  successful  effort, 
as  when  a  man  rises  from  a  bed  of  illness  to  save 
his  life,  or  through  sudden  determination  to  live, 
we  must  presuppose  favouring  conditions  splen- 
didly taken  advantage  of  at  the  most  fortunate 
moment.  Again,  it  may  be  that  higher  resources 
are  drawn  upon  at  the  right  instant.  It  is  well  to 
narrow  matters  to  this  fine  point,  since  we  need 
not  then  exhaust  ourselves  by  straining  against 


The  Efficient  Will  203 

insuperable  odds  or  by  drawing  upon  our  reserves 
when  the  supply  does  not  warrant  the  effort. 

When  we  have  faced  completely  around  the 
horizon,  we  may  stand  erect  once  for  all.  We 
begin  as  children,  self-assertive  in  high  degree, 
but  presently  find  wise  ways  to  the  ends  which 
Children  cannot  attain.  Flattened  to  earth  by 
sheer  failures,  we  at  length  find  it  far  from  disap- 
pointing that  we  cannot  rouse  the  will  and  move 
forth  to  victory  in  just  our  way.  Experience 
gradually  teaches  us  that  all  accomplishment  is 
co-operative,  involving  the  observance  of  essential 
conditions.  But  in  the  economy  of  nature  it 
suffices  that  we  possess  power  at  the  centre.  To 
have  the  power  to  attend  is  enough  to  make  one 
obstinate  for  a  life-time,  to  insure  optimism,  or 
success,  provided  it  be  supported  by  a  character 
that  expresses  itself  in  this  direction.  Narrowed 
to  the  limit,  and  driven  into  the  secret  recesses  of 
its  subjective  stronghold,  the  will  is  still  king. 

It  would  be  deadening  to  be  thinking  all  the 
while  of  the  theological  truth  that  there  is  only  one 
real  power.  Having  accepted  the  truth  in  humble 
submissiveness,  we  ordinarily  act  as  though  we 
could  accomplish  anything  in  line  with  our  desires. 
I  must  believe  in  myself  to  become  even  what  the 
most  sternly  authoritative  God  would  have  me 
become.  I  am  potentially  a  master,  and  hence 
I  regard  as  means  to  my  end  whatever  I  encounter 


204  Human  Efficiency 

by  way  of  opposition,  discouragement,  adverse 
criticism,  and  defeat.  In  this  sense  the  whole  world 
exists  for  my  education.  My  will  is  seen  in  what 
it  does,  not  in  what  it  cannot  do. 

The  theologians  who  disparage  the  will  to  the 
extreme  limit  forget  that  they  deem  man  capable 
of  accepting  the  right  creed,  thinking  out  the  true 
theology,  and  realising  the  ideals  of  righteousness. 
The  will  cannot  be  wholly  denied  with  one  breath 
and  taken  back  with  the  next.  To  have  power  to 
be  a  person  or  to  cease  to  be  moral  is  enough.  The 
will  in  itself  is  relatively  dispassionate,  like  a 
ready  servant.  Human  sinfulness  cannot  be  attri- 
buted to  the  will  alone.  As  an  activity  ready  to 
carry  out  any  prompting  that  is  not  inhibited,  the 
will  is  capable  of  being  regenerated  if  the  person- 
ality is  purified.  The  will  shares,  it  does  not  own 
power.  It  may  work  together  with  God,  in  con- 
trast with  the  assertiveness  that  causes  friction. 
The  consciousness  that  we  may  thus  share  lifts 
the  soul,  enlarging  the  sphere  of  interests  and  re- 
vealing incentives  beyond  measure.  We  appear 
to  have  been  surrounded  all  the  while  by  treasures 
which  we  sought  without  eyes  to  see  them.  The 
opportunities  that  are  revealed  under  our  gaze 
surpass  even  our  fondest  hopes. 

Thus  the  victorious  will  is  discovered  through  in- 
sight into  the  self  as  a  whole.  In  sheer  self-asser- 
tion the  will  counts  for  little.  We  lack  power  to 


The  Efficient  Will  205 

inhibit  even  a  tooth-ache,  to  change  a  single  hair 
white  or  black.  To  put  ourselves  in  life's  way  is  to 
find  ourselves  knocked  about  and  trampled  upon. 
That  phase  of  the  self  which  likes  to  be  petted  is 
vain  indeed.  We  did  not  make  ourselves,  we  did 
not  choose  our  parents,  nor  can  we  scarcely  will 
not  to  be.  Yet  every  negation  becomes  positive 
when  we  turn  about  face.  The  weakest  moment 
in  the  will's  history  may  be  the  moment  of  transi- 
tion into  strength.  In  that  moment  we  may  most 
truly  know  the  love  of  God  since  we  find  that  we 
are  not  cast  off  despite  our  folly  and  our  sin.  That 
which  I  most  eagerly  wanted  to  be  while  vainly 
self-assertive  I  can  indeed  become,  through  unison 
with  the  immanent  Life  which  all  the  while  sought 
to  make  me  this  self  of  my  profoundest  desire. 
The  will  in  brief  is  that  exercise  of  our  nature 
which  is  capable  of  all  varieties  of  response,  from 
mere  assent  to  the  most  heroic  struggle,  or  the  last 
victory  over  selfishness.  Sometimes  we  merely 
give  way  when  appetite  insists,  through  sheer 
indulgence,  lassitude,  fatigue,  and  ennui.  Again, 
we  yield  because  of  the  persuasions  of  a  friend.  In 
calm  moments  we  listen  in  reverent  reflectiveness, 
realising  that  each  thought  registers  a  creative 
fiat.  On  occasion,  we  start  forth  in  the  full  vigour 
of  action  like  a  Viking.  Truly,  we  have  great 
power,  for  when  an  idea  strikes  home,  the  die  is 
cast  in  an  instant,  and  the  response  begins.  All  we 


2o6  Human  Efficiency 

need  is  knowledge  to  show  when  to  make  the 
venture. 

Our  discussion  shows  that  concentration  is  part 
of  the  successful  will,  and  concentration  we  know 
is  acquired  when  we  exercise  our  powers  steadily 
in  one  direction.  Hence  the  significance  of  the 
psychological  discovery  that  each  word  of  assent, 
each  item,  motive,  or  argument  may  have  its 
effect.  Will  is  the  activity  that  maintains  or  is 
maintained  by  the  given  direction,  the  central 
interest  or  prevailing  love,  growing  cumulatively. 
Love  is  not  precisely  the  same  as  will,  yet  where  the 
heart  is  gathered  there  concentration  occurs.  We 
are  not  fully  persuaded  until  the  heart  changes, 
but  with  the  change  the  new  equilibrium  of  will 
ensues. 

This  centrality  of  the  will  is  also  seen  in  relation 
to  beliefs  and  modes  of  reasoning.  We  are  con- 
strained to  acknowledge  that  it  is  the  will  that 
underlies  all  dogmatism,  all  resistance  to  new 
ways  of  thinking.  The  "will  to  believe"  mars  as 
well  as  makes  us.  In  the  guise  of  loyalty  to  a 
friend,  a  cause,  or  an  institution,  this  will  is  one  of 
the  noblest  possessions,  intimately  allied  with  faith. 
Again,  we  voluntarily  select  certain  interests  or 
ideals  in  order  to  stand  for  something  in  the  world. 
Thus  it  is  that  we  attain  unity,  become  consistent, 
moral,  strong.  But  in  other  connections  it  is  this 
will  to  believe  that  is  our  intellectual  undoing. 


The  Efficient  Will  207 

Thus  we  set  our  private  thought  over  against 
universal  truth,  progress,  and  freedom,  inhibiting 
the  powers  of  reason,  conservatively  holding  to  a 
narrow  creed.  Stronger  in  will  than  in  the  power 
to  reason,  many  of  us  thereby  impede  our  growth 
for  years.  Prejudice  and  emotion  come  to  the 
support  of  the  will,  and  friends  of  similar  persua- 
sion lend  their  ready  influence.  Finally  fear  adds 
its  subtle  power,  through  the  suspicion  that  to 
yield  to  reason  is  to  be  lost. 

Yet  if  willing  to  admit  this  rebellion  of  the  will 
we  make  immediate  headway,  and  with  the  dawn- 
ing of  a  liberal  spirit  the  day  of  conservatism  be- 
gins to  pass.  Thus  the  intellectual  victory  of  the 
will  is  much  like  the  moral  and  spiritual  triumph. 
The  whole  process  of  regeneration,  let  us  say,  is 
the  acknowledgment  of  the  order  or  law  that  is 
above  us.  We  are  truly  strong  when  we  think, 
act,  accord  our  life  with  the  universal;  all  our  woe 
is  due  to  the  assertion  of  the  private  will  as  if  it 
were  independent  or  separate.  There  is  a  univer- 
sal order  which  seeks  to  express  itself  through  the 
body  as  health,  through  reason  as  sanity  and  truth, 
through  conduct  as  righteousness.  The  meaning 
of  suffering  is  that  we  shall  attain  health,  the 
significance  of  error  is  that  it  may  be  overcome 
by  truth,  and  the  meaning  of  evil  that  it  shall 
be  overcome  by  good.  The  cosmos  forces  home 
these  central  lessons  until  we  learn  them,  and  the 


208  Human  Efficiency 

uprightness  of  the  will  begins  with  their  accep- 
tance. The  transmutation  from  lower  to  higher 
begins  with  the  change  at  the  centre  whereby  the 
direction  of  the  will  is  made  right. 

This  is  not  acceptance  through  resignation  but 
through  upliftment  into  freedom.  Resignation 
would  imply  not  only  fatalism  but  subserviency  to 
habit.  Deeper  insight  into  the  will  shows  that 
habits  may  be  acquired  at  any  time  by  concentra- 
tion upon  ideals.  Our  dispositions  are  less  stable 
than  we  think.  The  inner  stream  which  we  call 
consciousness  ever  presents  new  opportunities. 
Even  conservatism  must  strengthen  its  habits  or 
be  overcome,  and  the  obstinate  will  must  continu- 
ally have  persons  against  whom  to  set  its  face. 
We  can  make  steady  headway  by  dwelling  upon 
the  desired  end  and  letting  other  mental  tendencies 
and  habits  die  for  want  of  new  subject-matter. 
Very  much  depends  upon  the  "I-can  attitude." 
Hence  persistent  adjustment  is  the  word. 

The  task  of  the  day  is  already  set,  you  complain, 
and  life  must  be  devoted  to  earning  our  living,  and 
maintaining  the  forms  of  society;  other  men  and 
women  we  would  like  to  be  but  cannot.  Yes,  the 
present  task  is  given  but  riot  our  manner  of  taking 
it.  The  foregoing  inquiry  has  shown  that  the  will 
manifests  its  power  little  by  little,  sometimes  by 
mere  assent.  If  it  gathers  headway  so  as  to  pass 
a  milestone  this  progress  is  made  by  almost  insen- 


The  Efficient  Will  209 

sible  advances.  Interspersed  between  the  moments 
and  hours  of  the  busiest  day  man  ever  lived  it  is 
possible  to  put  moments  of  .quietude  and  reflection 
which  shall  help  to  refashion  us  in  ideal  forms.  We 
introspect  in  vain  when  we  look  for  a  mighty 
power  to  accomplish  the  great  work  suddenly. 
TJiat  is  the  vain  desire  of  the  shirking  nature  in 
us  that  wants  to  blame  some  one  else  and  be 
free  from  responsibility.  Look  more  carefully 
and  you  find  an  opening  into  the  realm  of 
accomplishment. 

The  will,  we  have  seen,  is  not  merely  rebellious 
or  co-operative  but  also  inhibitory.  At  that  won- 
derful little  centre  where  alternatives  arise  there 
comes  with  the  temptation  the  way  of  escape; 
with  the  sarcasm,  prejudice,  or  bitterness,  the 
power  to  check  it.  Inhibit  an  impulse,  fear,  or 
rebellious  mood  at  the  beginning,  and  you  have 
great  power  over  it.  Acquire  a  sufficient  number 
of  inhibitions  in  favour  of  a  moral  standard  and 
virtue  becomes  a  habit.  Obstinacy  will  yield  to 
"this steady  advance  of  the  inhibitory  power,  self- 
assertion  changes  into  constructivity  through  its 
influence,  and  the  weak  will  becomes  strong.  In- 
hibition in  turn  becomes  the  basis  of  profounder 
control,  and  control  at  the  centre  means  mastery 
throughout.  The  obstinate  will  is  the  one  that 
steadily  inhibits  at  the  wrong  point.  The  weak 
will  needs  to  co-ordinate  its  inhibitions.  The  hesi- 
14 


2io  Human  Efficiency 

tant  will  must  learn  to  plunge  in.  A  good  resolu- 
tion is  worth  while  if  you  take  the  first  opportunity 
to  carry  it  into  execution  by  checking  the  impulses, 
habits,  emotions,  or  beliefs  which  impede  by 
forcibly  launching  the  new  determination.  What 
is  needed  is  an  approachable  point,  an  opportunity 
for  a  flank  movement. 

Inhibition  becomes  progressively  self -operative, 
as  it  were,  in  proportion  as  the  general  tone  of  the 
character  improves  and  the  ways  become  establish- 
ed in  favour  of  the  ideal.  Thus  we  are  led  to  state 
the  case  in  more  intellectual  terms.  It  does  not 
follow  that  enlightenment  means  immediate  re- 
sponse in  conduct,  but  on  the  whole  the  tendency 
of  rational  evolution  is  that  way.  The  unruly 
will  may  be  the  trouble  with  us  in  the  beginning, 
and  it  may  be  well  for  the  moralists  to  emphasise 
the  fact  that  "to  err  is  human."  But  for  the  en- 
lightened there  is  an  esoteric  doctrine.  Wilful- 
ness  in  all  its  forms  is  essentially  wrong  emphasis 
or  disorder,  and  what  is  needed  is  a  co-ordinating 
ideal  which  will  bring  consistency  to  the  fore. 
There  is  no  element  of  obstinacy  or  responsive- 
ness that  cannot  be  turned  to  account.  With 
the  development  of  order  at  the  centre,  there  is 
less  need  of  the  inhibitory  function  of  the  will. 
Poise  or  balance  takes  the  place  of  the  former 
conflict  between  passions  and  emotions,  reason 
prevails.  Hence  the  growth  of  character  becomes 


The  Efficient  Will  211 

less  a  matter  of  will  and  more  one  of  enlighten- 
ment. The  interferences  of  the  will  become  less 
frequent,  and  the  ideal  becomes  a  steadily  pur- 
sued purpose. 

Thus  instead  of  the  ordinary  conception  of  the 
will  as  an  independent  faculty  or  separate  power 
t<$  be  exerted,  as  if  it  could  stand  apart  and  control 
the  rest,  or  as  if  it  alone  were  unruly,  we  have 
dwelt  on  various  tendencies  of  character  and 
phases  of  mental  life.  The  will  is  not  the  first 
phase  of  mental  life  to  appear,  nor  is  it  elemental. 
Supervening  upon  instincts,  passions,  emotions, 
and  desires,  it  appears  under  the  form  of  effort, 
assent,  concentration,  co-ordination,  inhibition, 
interest,  attention.  It  cannot  be  understood 
apart  from  the  daily  experiences  which  give  it 
subject-matter  and  incentives,  or  apart  from  the 
character  which  it  expresses.  It  is  akin  to  desire 
at  first,  and  manifests  itself  in  unruliness  or  obsti- 
nacy, but  under  the  guise  of  interest  can  be  better 
understood  in  intellectual  terms  as  human  develop- 
ment goes  on.  He  who  would  grow  in  power  of 
will  must  not  merely  meet  the  opportunities  that 
strengthen  character,  and  increase  the  sense  of 
responsibility  but  co-ordinate  the  desires  that 
tend  to  favour  the  ideal  or  purpose,  letting  the 
others  lapse  through  disuse.  The  most  important 
conclusion  at  which  we  have  arrived  is  the  accept- 
ance of  Professor  James's  theory  that  it  is  the 


212  Human  Efficiency 

idea  or  objective  which  calls  the  will  into  power. 
This  leaves  us  free  to  concentrate  on  the  central 
purpose  or  interest  of  life,  and  on  the  imagery 
which  strengthens  its  hold  upon  us.  We  need  not 
then  give  so  much  attention  to  primitive  emotions, 
for  the  significant  emotion  is  the  prevailing  love, 
the  ruling  passion.  If  this  makes  for  order,  fulness 
of  life,  service,  we  may  give  more  thought  to  the 
deeds  and  ideas  that  develop  it  through  successive 
acts  of  attention.  If  it  be  unregenerate,  selfish, 
so  that  we  pursue  ends  for  personal  gain,  coerce 
and  manage  others,  check  ideas  and  methods  that 
tend  to  secure  freedom  and  progress,  why  then  we 
know  where  to  begin  radical  reform.  We  are 
collections  of  tendencies  rather  than  a  unit.  The 
will  is  the  greatest  unifying  power.  What  we  need 
is  a  love  or  purpose  that  inspires  consistency. 
Thus  the  efficient  will  is  a  ready  servant  of  the 
character  that  has  become  stable,  the  heart  that 
is  serene,  the  mind  that  is  composed. 


CHAPTER  IX 
;  SUCCESS 

A  FEW  years  ago  word  was  sent  from  Pekin 
that  it  was  the  intention  of  the  Chinese 
Empire  to  stamp  out  opium,  root  and  branch. 
This  endeavour  to  prohibit  the  use  of  the  drug  in  a 
land  of  400,000,000  inhabitants  is  equivalent,  as 
one  writer  remarked,  to  the  endeavour  to  stop  the 
use  of  alcohol  in  five  countries,  each  with  a  popula- 
tion equal  to  that  of  the  United  States.  The 
significant  feature  of  the  plan  as  thus  announced 
is  its  thoroughness.  Without  sentimentality,  and 
without  attempting  more  at  a  time  than  human 
nature  can  accomplish,  the  authorities  decreed 
that  ten  years  should  be  allowed  for  the  change. 
Hence  full  allowances  were  made  for  the  laws  of 
habit,  and  the  weaknesses  of  human  nature;  also 
for  the  property  in  invested  interests,  and  the 
economic  principle  of  supply  and  demand.  The 
demand  is  attributed  to  the  morbid  craving  of  the 
smoker  for  his  drug.  The  supply  comes  from  the 
cultivation  of  the  poppy  from  which  the  opium  is 

extracted.    Hence  the  first  step  is  taken  with  the 

213, 


214  Human  Efficiency 

decree  that  not  an  acre  of  new  land  in  China  shall 
be  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  the  poppy.  All 
the  soil  under  cultivation  for  this  crop  must  be 
reduced  one-tenth  each  year,  under  penalty  of 
confiscation.  That  is  to  say,  at  the  end  of  the  ten- 
year  limit  not  an  acre  of  poppy-growing  soil  will 
be  left  in  China.  Meanwhile,  through  treaties 
and  by  other  means  the  nations  that  deal  in  opium 
will  be  besought  to  stop  the  export  of  opium  alto- 
gether within  the  ten  years.  The  edict  also  forbids 
any  one  to  begin  the  use  of  opium,  and  all  who  are 
addicted  to  the  habit  must  be  registered,  only 
those  registered  being  permitted  to  buy  the  drug. 
Persons  over  sixty  years  of  age  are  not  dealt  with  so 
severely,  but  all  others  must  decrease  the  amount 
twenty  per  cent,  annually.  A  further  recognition 
of  the  laws  of  habit  is  shown  by  the  command  to 
physicians  to  distribute  medicines  serving  as  anti- 
dotes to  the  habit.  Teachers,  scholars,  soldiers 
and  sailors  are  required  to  abandon  the  habit  in 
three  months.  Anti-opium  societies  are  every- 
where to  be  established  to  spread  the  propaganda. 
Consider  what  reforms  could  be  accomplished 
in  the  world  if  all  people  should  begin  by  giving 
such  thorough  recognition  to  the  enemy  to  be 
conquered,  the  conditions  involved,  the  habits  im- 
plied. If  in  China  with  its  reverence  for  authority 
and  custom  such  changes  can  be  brought  about,  to 
be  followed  by  other  reforms  no  less  radical,  as  the 


Success  215 

newspapers  from  time  to  time  inform  us,  why 
could  we  not  expect  any  sort  of  reconstruction 
from  the  progressive  peoples  of  the  globe?  It  is 
this  kind  of  preparation  for  success  that  the  modern 
movement  in  behalf  of  efficiency  calls  for.  We 
have  had  this  standard  in  mind  in  pleading  through- 
out this  book  for  recognition  of  all  the  forces  at 
work  in  the  human  organism  that  are  likely  to  be 
in  any  way  influential.  The  man  who  studies  his 
resources  in  this  fashion  cannot  fail  or  need  not  if 
he  cares  to  win.  It  may  be  well  to  expect  improve- 
ment from  the  first,  rather  than  to  set  limits  in 
view  of  all  that  must  be  conquered.  Nevertheless, 
the  majority  of  us  waste  a  great  amount  of  energy 
by  rushing  ahead  before  we  know  whither  we  are 
going  or  what  road  will  take  us  there.  He  who 
knows  the  whole  field  can  rest  with  the  assurance 
of  a  general  who  understands  the  enemy  he  intends 
to  conquer  on  the  morrow  through  adroit  moves  at 
the  right  moment. 

The  present  is  becoming  the  age  of  the  science 
of  success,  now  that  the  day  of  mere  precepts  and 
fragmentary  schemes  is  passing.  If  "nothing 
succeeds  like  success, "  we  should  be  able  to  demon- 
strate that  this  promise  applies  to  the  whole  of 
life.  For  we  have  grown  weary  of  merely  external 
success,  at  least  many  of  us  are  weary,  and  we 
refuse  any  longer  to  identify  success  with  the 
amassing  of  great  wealth.  It  is  time  now  to  dwell 


216  Human  Efficiency 

on  the  conditions  that  make  for  success  as  the 
fruition  of  the  whole  of  life.  This  need  not  mean 
the  neglect  of  practical  considerations.  It  is  under- 
stood that  "the  labourer  is  worthy  of  his  hire." 
But  it  is  equally  clear  that  an  enterprise  is  no  less 
successful  merely  because  it  brings  money.  The 
luxuriously  wealthy  may  still  cherish  the  notion 
that  money  can  purchase  whatever  life  holds  of 
value.  Meanwhile,  it  is  plain  to  any  number  of 
others  that  success  is  purchasable  only  in  terms 
of  wisdom,  conduct,  character.  This  implies  the 
conviction  that  life  exists  for  a  certain  purpose, 
that  there  are  laws  which  secure  success  even 
though  external  and  financial  conditions  be 
adverse. 

In  the  foregoing  chapters  we  have  been  consider- 
ing the  elements  of  efficiency  from  the  point  of 
view  of  mental  principles.  What  remains  is  to 
bring  together  certain  of  these  elements  so  as  to 
show  their  bearing  on  success  through  character. 
The  most  important  of  these  psychological  con- 
siderations turn  on  the  acceptance  of  qualitative 
as  opposed  to  merely  quantitative  values.  It  is  not 
the  mere  time  we  spend,  the  amount  of  work  we  do, 
but  the  attention  we  give  to  details,  the  concen- 
tration through  which  we  bring  many  means  to 
bear  on  one  end,  the  incentive  which  enlists  our 
energy  in  full  measure.  These  values  we  have 
summarised  more  explicitly  under  the  head  of  the 


Success  217 

will.  The  efficient  life  is  in  brief  the  right  use 
of  the  will,  with  all  that  this  power  implies,  as  the 
activity  which  co-ordinates,  which  lifts  the  desires, 
develops  character,  and  ascends  to  the  level  of 
thought.  What  we  need  is  more  knowledge  of 
the  conditions  under  which  this  ascending  effort 
of  mental  evolution  meets  the  opportunities  of  life 
from  day  to  day. 

By  the  term  "life"  we  mean  the  collection  of 
instincts,  feelings,  and  tendencies,  which  well  into 
consciousness  afresh  each  day.  This  "stream  of 
tendency"  is  not  like  a  listless  river  flowing  so 
slowly  that  we  cannot  tell  whither  it  is  moving. 
Each  day  reveals  not  merely  the  habitual  prompt- 
ings which  lead  us  to  arise  at  about  the  same  hour, 
to  dress,  eat  the  morning  meal,  and  go  about  our 
tasks.  It  requires  very  little  self -consciousness  to 
show  that  we  are  aware  of  strivings,  dissatisfac- 
tions, and  aspirations.  When  the  best  has  been 
said  in  favour  of  our  theories  and  creeds,  the  impres- 
sive fact  remains  that  life  is  richer  than  theory, 
teaches  above  creeds.  Those  of  us  who  philo- 
sophise strive  to  bring  our  ideas  up  to  the  level 
of  the  fulness  of  life.  But  life  like  a  flood  over- 
flows the  bounds  we  set  for  it.  Hence  we  need  to 
make  allowances,  prepared  to  plunge  in,  not 
always  knowing  whither  the  current  shall  carry  us. 

Our  situation  in  brief  is  probably  this:  Our 
habits,  beliefs,  customary  reactions  to  environ- 


218  Human  Efficiency 

ment  and  vocational  conditions,  show  what  we 
have  been,  what  forces  have  operated  to  bring  us 
where  we  are.  We  cannot  rightfully  complain 
that  we  are  thus  situated,  for  there  has  been  perfect 
correspondence  between  what  we  were  and  what 
these  forces  brought  to  us.  But  this  ever-welling 
stream  of  life  which  quickens  restless  longing 
within  us  also  shows  what  we  shall  presently  be, 
or  what  we  may  become  if  it  find  us  responsive. 
Desire  is  not  merely  indeterminate  potentiality, 
but  in  its  higher  phases  is  like  the  shadow  that 
forecasts  the  coming  event.  Beneath  the  strivings 
that  give  us  our  pains,  the  emotions  that  exhaust 
our  forces,  and  the  conflicts  that  make  us  well- 
nigh  discouraged,  there  is  this  steady  flow  of  life 
towards  the  ideal.  We  never  rightly  judge  our- 
selves when  we  regard  the  processes  merely.  Truly 
to  see  is  to  behold  what  we  may  presently  become. 
Truly  to  respond  is  to  take  the  new  prompting 
which  life  reveals  to-day  and  ride  over  the  top  of 
the  wave. 

Two  points  of  adaptation  are  important  if  we 
would  move  with  this  incoming  stream.  We  need 
a  practical  method  of  adjustment,  and  we  need 
to  carry  on  the  life  of  reflection.  Since  "conduct 
is  three-fourths  of  life,"  the  first  essential  is  re- 
sponsiveness to  the  tendencies  that  send  us  forth 
to  action,  that  keep  us  alive,  expressive,  spontane- 
ous, free,  and  that  make  us  open  to  brotherly  love. 


Success  219 

If  I  each  day  go  forth  in  an  attitude  of  joy  and 
thanksgiving,  eager  to  manifest  more  love,  to  be 
more  considerate  and  gentle,  I  shall  go  far  towards 
the  attainment  of  fidelity  to  life.  But,  in  the 
second  place,  it  is  also  important  to  carry  on  a 
study  of  life  as  it  passes,  noting  its  laws,  observing 
i£s  comings  and  goings  in  the  conduct  of  men.  If 
I  carry  this  additional  consciousness,  I  shall  all 
the  while  find  incidents  that  throw  light  on  life's 
pathway,  and  enable  me  to  aid  my  fellowmen. 
Moreover,  the  life  of  thought  is  a  resource  which 
lifts  us  above  material  circumstance,  above 
routine  and  all  littleness. 

One's  morning  thought  is  naturally  retrospective 
in  a  measure,  that  the  past  may  reveal  its  lessons, 
and  that  one  may  renew  ideals  in  the  light  of  past 
successes.  Yet  what  is  chiefly  called  for  is  an 
attitude  of  openness  or  receptivity,  as  if  one  for 
the  moment  had  no  idea  whither  life  might  lead 
during  the  day.  This  attitude  of  listening  forth- 
with gives  place  to  the  more  active  consciousness 
which  a  new  incentive  reveals,  or  it  leads  to  the 
prompting  to  rise  with  energy  and  set  about  the 
work  of  the  day.  The  day  that  might  have  been 
one  of  depressing  servitude  to  the  tasks  at  hand, 
the  problems  that  are  not  solved,  the  burdens 
which  must  be  carried  for  others,  or  the  people 
to  whom  one  cannot  easily  adapt  oneself,  may  be 
transfigured  by  a  consciousness  which  turns  every 


22O  Human  Efficiency 

hour  to  productive  account.  We  are  not  yet  in  a 
respectable  frame  of  mind  if  we  rise  to  our  duty  as 
"the  same  old  grind,"  declaring  that  "the  game 
is  not  worth  the  candle. "  The  resolve  to  make  the 
day  just  a  bit  happier  for  some  one  may  be  enough 
to  turn  the  tide. 

To  lead  a  successful  life  is  thus  to  be  intellectu- 
ally and  morally  productive.  The  unsuccessful 
person  is  one  who  remains  in  bondage  to  inheri- 
tance, habit,  environment,  a  prisoner  of  circum- 
stance and  processes.  We  are  born  to  succeed, 
and  we  have  the  power  to  learn  the  meaning  of 
failure.  But  it  is  possible  to  remain  in  subser- 
viency to  the  processes  of  success  for  a  very  long 
time,  not  knowing  that  they  are  processes.  Hence 
the  importance  of  sounding  all  these  matters. 

"To  him  that  hath  shall  be  given, "  is  doubtless 
the  first  principle.  As  reactive  beings,  conditioned 
for  work,  we  must  make  effort,  control  the  brain 
more  successfully,  co-ordinate  our  movements, 
master  our  thoughts,  endeavour  to  advance  a  step 
in  the  face  of  forces  that  hold  us  back. 

It  is  far  easier  simply  to  rise  without  thinking. 
Every  failure,  every  moment  of  subserviency  or 
defeat,  is  an  opportunity  to  test  the  power  we 
bear  within  us  to  respond,  to  arise  and  to  create 
afresh.  It  is  never  failure  itself  that  is  the  trouble 
with  us,  as  a  recent  writer  has  said,  "it  is  the  effect 
that  the  failure  has  on  us. " 


Success  221 

The  successful  man  valiantly  faces  the  present 
circumstances,  the  obstacle  to  be  conquered,  the 
trait  in  himself  that  must  be  overcome.  Evasive- 
ness is  not  mere  weakness  and  procrastination,  it 
is  playing  with  the  inevitable.  He  who  succeeds 
acknowledges  where  he  stands,  knows  what  he 
c£n  do  in  the  light  of  what  he  has  done,  what  is 
not  in  his  power  now,  but  also  knows  that  he 
cannot  afford  to  fail  in  the  present  undertaking. 
He  does  not  assert  his  power  in  general,  or  try 
to  conquer  many  things  at  once,  but  opens  wide 
the  gates  of  power  in  the  direction  in  which  he 
should  succeed  to-day.  Thus  the  energy  that 
might  be  checked  if  he  dwelt  on  what  he  could 
not  do  is  concentrated  upon  the  opportunity  of 
the  hour. 

The  first  essential  is  to  set  oneself  in  motion  in  a 
given  direction.  We  have  seen  how  this  principle 
works  in  the  case  of  the  habit  of  swimming  or 
skating,  acquired  long  after  the  initial  efforts  were 
made ;  also  in  the  case  of  the  good  resolution  which 
is  confidently  made  and  as  confidently  dismissed 
to  do  its  work.  Once  in  motion  in  such  a  way  that 
the  beginnings  of  a  habit  are  established,  we  tend 
to  keep  in  motion  unless  impeded  by  stronger 
influences.  Hence  it  is  as  necessary  to  know  the 
possible  inhibitions  of  our  unregeneracy  as  to  make 
wise  effort  at  the  right  time.  But  it  is  no  less 
important  to  know  when  to  stop.  As  Carpenter 


222  Human  Efficiency 

says,  "When  all  the  considerations  which  ought 
to  be  taken  into  account  have  been  brought  fully 
before  the  mind,  it  is  far  better  to  leave  them  to 
arrange  themselves,  by  turning  the  conscious  activ- 
ity of  the  mind  into  some  other  direction,  or  by 
giving  it  complete  repose."1  It  is  part  of  the  art 
of  life  to  know  when  to  stop  pressing  a  matter,  to 
avoid  dwelling  too  long  in  one  direction  of  mind. 
Time  settles  many  matters  which  persistent 
thought  could  not  solve.  On  the  other  hand, 
there  are  occasions  when  to  push  through  by 
downright  effort  is  the  only  wise  course. 

Our  investigation  has  shown  that  in  all  mental 
processes  there  are  less-conscious  phases,  and 
phases  of  mentality  that  are  almost  unconscious. 
Much  of  our  thinking  is  a  half-conscious  brooding 
over  ideas.  Again,  it  is  like  firing  at  a  mark,  the 
idea  aimed  at  being  the  central  point  of  attention 
which  calls  forth  the  energies  in  that  direction. 
The  idea,  at  first  a  mere  hint,  strikes  home,  absorbs 
my  attention,  and  presently  I  find  myself  thinking 
about  that  subject  in  full  vigour,  collecting  under 
one  head  whatever  I  know  about  it,  and  arriving 
at  new  conclusions. 

Half  the  art  of  mental  life  is  expressible  in  terms 
of  training,  inhibition,  control;  the  other  half  in 
terms  of  adaptation  to  the  laws  and  conditions 

'Carpenter  quotes  capital  instances  in  support  of  this 
view,  Mental  Phys.,  pp.  483,  533-4. 


Success  223 

that  make  sure  the  desired  end.  If  the  desired 
incentive  be  not  strong  enough  to  carry  the  day, 
we  may  make  it  so  by  stratagem,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  man  who  overcame  the  habit  of  smoking  and 
drinking  by  quietly  resolving  to  do  so  when  the 
right  time  should  come.  If  the  obstacle  be  out- 
sMe  of  ourselves  we  must  study  the  conditions, 
seeking  lines  of  least  or  of  successful  resistance, 
"then  strike  while  the  iron  is  hot." 

If  willing  to  await  occasions,  the  self-reliant  man 
is  no  less  free  to  seek  advice  from  every  quarter, 
since  he  does  not  over-estimate  his  own  judgment. 
This  implies  the  conclusion  that  any  prompting, 
instinct,  suggestion,  clue,  or  message,  may  be 
regarded  as  "guidance."  That  is,  it  may  be 
reacted  upon  and  turned  to  account,  becoming 
guidance  for  the  one  who  assumes  the  responsibility 
of  accepting  it.  Thus  even  a  doubt  may  be  deemed 
a  guidance  if  by  reflecting  upon  it  one  learns  what 
not  to  do,  while  a  temptation  may  serve  as  an 
additional  incentive  to  success.  The  prohibitions 
and  restraints  of  one's  nature  are  thus  either 
guidances  that  serve  as  reminders,  or  signs  of 
conservatism  yet  to  be  conquered.  "A  word  to 
the  wise  is  sufficient."  Some  of  the  profoundest 
statements  ever  made  appear  to  be  merely  passing 
remarks  until  their  import  is  seen.  The  wise  do 
not  often  advertise  their  knowledge,  but  express 
incidentally  the  convictions  or  insights  of  a  life- 


224  Human  Efficiency 

time.  Likewise  the  deepest  guidance  of  one's 
conscience  may  be  so  gently  whispered  that  it 
offers  no  restraint  at  all.  A  revelation  from  heaven 
would  be  such  only  for  him  who  should  know  the 
signs. 

If  you  would  emulate  the  wise  in  these  matters, 
seek  your  own  impressions  first,  think  the  thing 
out  if  you  can;  then  when  fairly  in  motion  call 
forth  the  judgment  of  others  by  way  of  contrast 
and  criticism.  When  you  begin  to  seek  light  in  the 
desired  direction,  send  out  your  thought  and  note 
the  response  of  conscience  on  your  part,  give  scope 
to  the  imagination,  let  your  mind  play  upon  the 
plan  for  awhile;  and  then  turn  to  something  else 
for  a  number  of  hours.  Meanwhile,  your  mind 
will  have  time  to  bring  out  of  its  depths  whatever 
may  tend  to  conflict  with  or  support  it.  If  tem- 
peramentally subjective,  seek  the  company  of 
people  who  are  absorbed  in  doing  objective  things, 
or  attend  a  social  gathering  in  which  the  inner 
life  counts  for  naught.  If  little  given  to  intro- 
spection, seek  those  who  are  theoretical  and  sub- 
jective. In  either  case,  give  your  mind  time  to 
collect  the  scattered  impressions  in  the  light  of  a 
sufficient  perspective.  The  plan  once  considered 
and  then  dropped,  but  which  forthwith  forces 
itself  on  the  attention,  is  likely  to  have  meaning. 
In  the  case  of  vitally  important  matters,  it  is 
desirable  to  await  a  conviction  so  strong  that  one  is 


Success  225 

sure  the  course  in  question  is  the  one  above  all 
others  to  be  pursued.  For  example,  in  choosing 
a  vocation,  launching  a  new  business  enterprise, 
forming  a  partnership,  or  planning  to  co-operate 
with  new  associates.  Some  of  us  are  temperament- 
ally adapted  to  work  with  others,  or  with  people 
of  certain  types,  while  others  can  best  work  inde- 
pendently. All  these  relationships  can  be  tested 
in  many  ways  besides  sitting  down  to  consider  the 
bare  facts  with  the  hope  that  one  can  at  once 
proceed  to  conclusions. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  matters  on  which 
it  is  well  not  to  deliberate  too  long.  Some  of  the 
firmest  friendships  are  formed  quickly.  Sometimes 
the  man  of  affairs  who  makes  the  sudden  venture  is 
the  one  who  finds  the  surest  road  to  success.  To 
test  a  plan  by  making  a  tentative  beginning  is 
often  better  than  to  test  it  in  imagination.  The 
first  move  may  show  that  it  is  wrong  or  that  it  is 
right. 

Another  principle  that  makes  for  success  may 
be  briefly  called  enterprise.  First  get  a  thing  in 
motion  then  follow  it  up.  This  is  as  necessary  in 
the  higher  walks  of  life  as  in  the  world  of  trade. 
In  the  commercial  world,  persistent  and  skilful 
advertising  associated  with  a  name  that  takes, 
a  trade-mark  or  picture  that  appears  wherever 
the  goods  in  question  are  mentioned,  summarises 
the  psychology  of  success.  In  the  personal  world 
is 


226  Human  Efficiency 

a  man  who  fails  to  keep  himself  before  the  public 
in  the  right  way  may  be  as  quickly  forgotten  as  an 
article  that  is  renamed,  or  is  no  longer  advertised. 
In  the  educational  world  everything  depends  upon 
the  frequent  and  thorough  reviews  which  instil 
desired  ideas  in  the  pupil's  mind.  In  the  moral 
life  everything  depends  on  continued  effort,  vigi- 
lance, the  gradual  acquisition  of  power  through 
unflinching  persistence.  The  same  law  is  no  less 
true  of  religion,  for  even  prayer  and  worship  lose 
their  power  unless  habitual,  and  the  very  name  of 
God  ceases  to  have  influence  for  those  who  do  not 
renew  the  associations  that  gave  it  efficiency.  We 
know  all  this,  when  reminded,  but  we  seldom  real- 
ise that  a  principle  of  great  consequence  is  implied. 
In  the  biological  world  this  is  known  as  the  law 
of  use  and  disuse.  Even  our  organs  and  functions 
grow  weak  unless  steadily  exercised.  All  evolution- 
ary attainments  are  gradually  made  through  per- 
sistence in  a  direction  where  habit  counts  or 
where  it  is  a  question  of  imitation.  With  the 
cessation  of  effort  decline  sets  in,  and  the  favourable 
variation  or  association  is  lost.  Life  never  stands 
still.  Likewise  in  the  realm  of  conduct,  of  art 
and  science,  whatever  is  successful  is  steadily 
maintained.  The  great  pianist  who  practises 
eight  hours  a  day  in  order  to  keep  up  to  the  stand- 
ard acquired  through  many  years  of  work,  well 
exemplifies  the  law.  Psychologically  speaking,  this 


Success  227 

is  the  law  of  attention.  If  you  would  grow  in 
knowledge  and  command  of  a  subject,  give  care- 
ful attention  to  its  details,  analysing  and  sub- 
dividing until  you  attain  mastery.  If  you  would 
overcome  an  undesirable  tendency,  do  not  pay 
heed  to  it,  do  not  express  it,  but  attend  to  the  line 
of  thought  or  conduct  which  you  wish  to  substi- 
tute for  it. 

A  man  who  could  truly  say  of  himself  that  he 
succeeded  in  everything  he  undertook,  traced  this 
mastery  to  a  habit  formed  early  in  youth  of  ob- 
serving everywhere  he  went.  Deprived  of  many 
educational  opportunities  which  others  enjoy, 
he  always  kept  his  eyes  open  for  details.  When 
watching  a  freight-train,  for  example,  his  mind 
did  not  merely  receive  a  general  impression  of 
browns;  he  noticed  the  numbers  on  the  cars,  the 
initials  that  indicated  the  names  of  the  railways, 
thereby  gaining  data  which  led  to  knowledge  of 
the  great  railroads  of  the  country.  In  the  city  he 
observed  the  numbers  as  well  as  the  signs  on  the 
street-cars,  the  location  of  fire-alarm  boxes  and 
fire-apparatus,  and  a  thousand  other  details  which 
the  majority  pass  unnoticed.  In  due  time  the 
powers  of  attention  thus  fostered  turned  in  other 
directions,  always  with  the  minuteness  and  thor- 
oughness which  this  habit  had  enabled  him  to 
acquire.  It  hardly  need  be  added  that  this  man 
always  kept  his  direction  in  a  strange  city  as  well 


228  Human  Efficiency 

as  in  a  forest,  was  always  able  to  return  where  he 
had  been  before,  seldom  found  it  necessary  to 
inquire  the  way,  and  as  a  habit  investigated  and 
thought  for  himself  before  questioning  others. 
He  also  knew  what  he  knew,  what  he  merely  be- 
lieved, and  where  he  stood  in  all  respects.  To 
that  extent  at  least  he  realised  one  of  the  ideals 
of  the  educated  man. 

Observe  the  inefficient  people  you  meet  and  you 
will  find  abundant  illustration  of  the  law  of  disuse. 
Here  is  a  person,  for  instance,  who  for  nearly 
thirty  years  has  made  indexes  for  deeds  in  a  county 
court-house.  Unable  to  do  anything  else  because 
untrained,  this  person  long  ago  mastered  the 
vocation  in  question,  but  without  providing  an 
outlet  for  the  energies  not  therein  employed. 
Impulsive,  emotional,  she  has  little  command 
over  her  thoughts,  but  describes  her  mind  as  "a 
mere  brain  with  flitting  ideas."  She  has  power 
that  would  have  made  her  efficient  in  several 
directions,  and  a  love  of  knowledge  which  called 
for  thorough  intellectual  training.  The  mental 
powers  which  might  have  been  put  to  use  now 
exhaust  themselves  in  chaotic  impulses  and  emo- 
tions which  make  their  possessor  a  slave  to  fear. 
The  moral  in  her  case  is,  Begin  early  to  cultivate 
your  powers  systematically,  have  an  avocation, 
and  see  to  it  that  abundant  opportunities  are 
provided  for  all  your  energy;  otherwise  the  wear 


Success  229 

and  tear  of  nervous  habit  will  throw  the  intellec- 
tual life  out  of  use. 

One  frequently  meets  people  who  have  reached 
middle  life  without  even  acquiring  a  vocation, 
although  they  possess  good  minds  and  are  capable 
of  highly  efficient  service.  Sometimes  this  is  due 
^o  the  fact  that  necessity  never  compelled  them  to 
work  for  a  livelihood,  to  do  things  "on  time,"  or 
in  any  way  break  from  the  life  of  self -gratifying 
desire.  Again,  it  is  traceable  in  part  to  a  negative 
goodness  that  has  never  been  tested  by  the  severer 
experiences  of  life.  In  the  absence  of  these  matur- 
ing experiences,  such  a  one  usually  remains  youth- 
fully innocent.  The  temperamental  interest  calls 
for  wide  acquaintance  with  the  world,  for  thorough 
knowledge  made  possible  through  excellent  intel- 
lectual training.  Undeveloped  in  these  direc- 
tions, such  a  person  moves  in  a  small  sphere, 
lacking  in  initiatives,  dependent  on  others,  even 
when  in  the  presence  of  desired  objects  which 
like  prominently  displayed  signs  escape  inatten- 
tive eyes.  Hence  the  intellectuality  which  might 
have  been  productive  is  centred  upon  the  inner 
life,  the  preservation  in  minute  detail  of  bodily  wel- 
fare and  all  that  pertains  to  the  emotions.  Such 
a  person  is  usually  obstinate,  full  of  prejudices, 
and  in  later  life  is  given  to  pettiness  of  various 
sorts.  The  moral  in  such  cases  is  not  merely  intel- 
lectual, but  points  to  the  imperative  necessity  of 


230  Human  Efficiency 

breaking  free  from  self-complacent  ease  into  a 
mode  of  life  which  tends  to  overcome  subserviency 
to  habit,  to  the  senses  and  the  brain.  The  man 
who  though  untutored  in  things  intellectual  has 
had  varied  experiences  which  foster  manliness  is 
far  more  advanced  in  actual  development. 

Such  cases  are  typical  of  those  who  endeavour 
to  be  spiritual  in  a  supernatural  sense  before  they 
have  even  acquired  the  command  over  the  body 
which  life  in  this  world  ordinarily  brings.  Again, 
there  are  those  who  through  lack  of  purpose  have 
so  little  outlet  for  their  energies  that  the  power 
which  would  make  them  intellectually  productive 
is  spent  in  card-playing,  in  small  talk,  and  nervous 
self-centredness.  Others  are  inefficient  because  in 
their  endeavour  to  be  broad,  tolerant,  and  sym- 
pathetic they  do  not  hold  firmly  enough  to  any 
one  creed  to  master  it.  There  are  also  those  who 
live  too  much  with  one  sex,  one  family,  one  social 
group,  or  in  one  town.  Deadly  sameness  is  thus  as 
detrimental  as  its  opposite. 

But  it  is  not  alone  through  the  deficiencies  of 
early  training  and  limited  relationships  with  the 
world  that  human  energy  plays  mischief  through 
disuse.  Sometimes  it  is  the  person  of  decided 
ability  and  of  good  education  who  exemplifies  the 
law.  There  is,  for  example,  inordinate  ambition 
due  to  pent-up  energy  and  a  perpetual  striving  to 
attain.  Again,  it  is  a  subjective  individual  who  is 


Success  231 

open  to  many  influences,  who  gives  too  much  heed 
to  advice,  is  too  free  and  pliable.  Or,  it  is  an  over- 
theoretical  individual  whose  active  life  is  inhibited 
by  doctrinal  analyses  that  are  never  ended.  The 
saddest  case  is  that  of  the  woman  whose  affections 
are  checked  by  absorption  in  the  affairs  of  the 
commercial  world. 

t  The  successful  types  of  men  and  women  are  not 
by  any  means  limited  to  those  who  are  objectively 
enterprising.  Here  is  one,  for  instance,  who  is 
calmly  reflective  even  when  in  company.  He  does 
not  care  to  talk  much,  but  delights  in  bringing  men 
and  women  of  quality  together  that  he  may  hear 
them  converse  on  subjects  that  are  worth  while. 
He  is  a  man  of  wide  information  and  acquaintance, 
with  many  points  of  contact.  Essentially  of  the 
judicial  type,  he  is  in  every  way  as  efficient  as 
people  of  the  impulsive  sort.  One  of  this  type  is 
likely  to  exemplify  more  of  the  elements  of  success 
than  the  person  who  is  objectively  aggressive.  He 
begins  as  he  can  hold  out,  keeping  steadily  at  his 
work  day  by  day.  When  he  rests  he  really  rests, 
and  if  he  spends  a  few  weeks  in  the  country  selects 
the  sort  of  recreation  that  is  of  genuine  value.  In 
short,  he  knows  how  to  get  full  worth  from  the 
opportunities  at  hand. 

The  successful  man  not  only  rises  above  routine, 
but  is  able  to  turn  supposedly  disagreeable  tasks 
to  account.  Here  is  one,  for  instance,  who  has 


232  Human  Efficiency 

moved  the  household  goods  many  times,  and  has 
learned  to  make  the  moving-time  profitable. 
Regarding  the  activities  of  packing,  moving,  and 
settling  as  an  avocation,  he  plans  a  little  more 
carefully  each  time,  endeavouring  to  develop  a 
system,  secure  more  order.  He  then  turns  to  his 
regular  work  refreshed  and  with  renewed  incen- 
tives. The  same  is  true  of  a  man  who  has  learned 
to  distribute  his  vacations  throughout  the  summer 
by  rising  an  hour  earlier,  walking  to  his  business, 
and  devoting  time  en  route  to  the  study  of  scien- 
tific books.  The  change  was  not  made  through 
necessity,  but  because  a  mere  vacation  seemed 
profitless.  In  this  way  he  has  acquired  a  fund  of 
information  outside  the  world  of  affairs. 

Another  man,  a  hale  and  hearty  Vermonter, 
attributes  a  large  part  of  his  success  to  the  life- 
long habit  of  walking  in  the  country,  not  as  a 
mere  exercise  but  as  a  means  of  throwing  off  what- 
ever illness  he  may  have  found  himself  falling  into, 
also  depressing  and  other  mental  states  or  moods 
that  tended  to  interfere  with  his  normal  life.  His 
one  resource  is  to  "walk  it  off. " 

If  the  successful  man  is  one  who  takes  the  long 
look  ahead,  he  is  also  one  who  for  the  most  part 
lives  in  the  present.  When  inclined  to  be  dis- 
heartened, he  cuts  loose  from  the  past  as  with  a 
knife,  and  begins  again.  Thus  to  live  is  to  realise 
that  there  is  little  reason  in  the  immediate  present 


Success  233 

for  distress,  discouragement,  or  anxiety.  For  the 
downcast  mood  was  probably  due  to  an  accumula- 
tion of  fatigues  and  depressions,  the  cure  for  which 
is  rest,  or  a  complete  change.  If  angry,  to  hold 
still  in  the  present  is  to  find  that  the  occasion  for 
the  anger  has  passed.  If  anxious,  one  can  decide 
upon  a  course  that  is  wise,  hence  dismiss  the 
tribulation  for  the  time.  If  ill,  one  will  naturally 
do  in  the  present  that  which  will  secure  a  return 
to  health  in  the  near  future. 

It  is  interesting  to  find  highly  successful  men 
summarising  these  matters  in  terms  of  their  own 
experience.  One  of  the  ablest  railroad  men  in  the 
United  States,  about  to  retire  from  active  work 
at  sixty-five,  declares  that  "There  is  no  genius. 
It 's  hard  work.  The  world  belongs  to  the  young 
man.  I  am  going  to  retire  because  I  want  to  live. 
A  man  must  be  possessed  by  his  work  and  be 
able  to  manage  it."  This  is  apparently  a  confes- 
sion that  he  himself  did  not  wholly  succeed  in 
working  and  living  too.  Nevertheless,  he  avoided 
the  extremes  to  which  some  go.  There  is  a  wealth 
of  argument  in  his  statement  that  "Thinking  in 
bed  killed  Harriman.  He  worked  all  day  and 
thought  out  his  problems  at  night. Ml 

Again,  it  is  a  man  of  unusual  power  who  points 
the  way  for  those  who  have  energy  but  do  not  use 

1  Quoted  from  Mr.  J.  C.  Stubbs,  in  The  World's  Work,  June, 
1911. 


234  Human  Efficiency 

it  to  the  full.    In  an  address  on  efficiency  in  Chicago 
ex-President  Roosevelt  is  quoted  as  saying: 

It  has  always  seemed  to  me  in  life  there  are  two 
ways  of  achieving  success,  or  for  that  matter,  achiev- 
ing what  is  commonly  called  greatness.  One  is  to  do 
that  which  can  only  be  done  by  the  man  of  exceptional 
and  extraordinary  abilities.  Of  course  this  means  that 
only  this  one  man  can  do  it,  and  it  is  a  very  rare  kind 
of  success  or  greatness.  The  other  is  to  do  that  which 
many  men  could  do,  but  which,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  none 
of  them  actually  does.  This  is  the  ordinary  kind  of 
success  or  greatness.  Nobody  but  one  of  the  world's 
rare  geniuses  could  have  written  the  Gettysburg  speech, 
or  the  second  inaugural,  or  met,  as  Lincoln  met,  the 
awful  crisis  of  the  Civil  War.  But  most  of  us  can 
do  the  ordinary  things,  which,  however,  most  of  us  do 
not  do.  Any  fairly  hardy  and  healthy  man  can  do 
what  I  have  done  in  hunting  and  ranching  if  only  he 
really  wishes  to,  and  will  take  the  pains  and  trouble, 
and  at  the  same  time  use  common  sense.  Any  one 
who  chose  could  lead  the  kind  of  life  I  have  led  .  .  . 
and  by  "choosing,"  I  of  course  mean  choosing  to  ex- 
ercise in  advance  the  requisite  industry,  judgment, 
and  foresight,  none  of  them  to  any  extraordinary 
degree.  .  .  . ' 

To  say  all  this  is  to  acknowledge  that  the  success- 
ful man  is  a  person  of  character.  Apparently  this 
means  the  sad  fact  that  people  differ  in  capacity, 

1  Quoted  in  System,  June,  1911. 


Success  235 

hence  that  success  in  marked  degree  is  only  for 
those  who  are  born  with  great  brain-power.  But 
the  foregoing  discussions  have  led  us  to  take  a 
different  view,  and  have  brought  us  in  sight  of  a 
number  of  principles  which  are  of  great  conse- 
quence in  the  formation  and  strengthening  of 
character.  What  we  so  often  call  character,  that 
is,  "the  innate  power"  which  because  transmitted 
we  take  to  be  immutable,  is  not  by  any  means 
single.  Nor  is  it  necessarily  a  fixed  quantity.  It 
would  be  more  correct  to  say  that  we  start  life 
with  an  assemblage  of  traits  and  tendencies  which 
we  divide  into  two  groups  after  a  time,  those  that 
are  undesirable,  with  which  we  refuse  to  identify 
the  self,  and  those  that  we  will  to  make  more 
truly  our  own.  We  are  apt  to  forget  that  it  is  not 
what  is  given  us  but  what  we  work  for  that  is  of 
value.  So-called  character  is  regarded  by  the  man 
who  truly  knows  himself  as  the  resistance  offered 
by  his  lower  nature  or  disposition,  of  value  chiefly 
because  it  calls  him  forth  in  creative  self -develop- 
ment. A  man's  disposition  may  indeed  be  desir- 
able, but  it  becomes  permanently  identified  with 
himself  only  in  case  he  wills  to  make  it  so.  The 
great  writer  who  declared  that  he  had  been  four  dif- 
ferent persons  in  the  course  of  his  long  life,  tacitly 
confessed  that  there  had  also  been  a  fifth,  namely, 
the  one  that  knew  and  accepted  parts  of  these  in 
favour  of  the  deeper  selfhood  which  lived  on. 


236  Human  Efficiency 

It  would  be  a  strain  upon  the  term  to  call 
our  supposably  innate  character  "subconscious." 
Unconscious  it  no  doubt  is  in  part,  since  we  do 
not  know  what  manner  of  men  we  are  until  experi- 
ence calls  our  traits  of  character  into  expression. 
But  some  of  these  are  merely  physical  tendencies, 
not  in  any  sense  subconscious  until  called  into 
expression  and  first  made  conscious.  Others  imply 
the  notion  that  we  have  wonderful  powers  on 
which  we  can  rely  when  all  else  fails,  as  if  great 
stores  of  wisdom  were  locked  within  our  "infallible 
intuitions."  This  notion  is  dispelled  with  the 
criticism  which  we  have  passed  on  the  whole  idea 
of  the  subconscious.  What  remains  can  be  more 
intelligently  examined  under  other  terms. 

We  were  unable  to  accept  the  popular  notion 
now  widely  prevalent  that  the  self  lies  below  the 
threshold  of  consciousness,  for  it  is  when  the  will 
is  in  full  action  that  a  man  is  most  truly  himself. 
He  who  sees  the  meaning  of  this  conclusion  realises 
the  truth  of  our  argument  that  character  strictly 
speaking  begins  with  the  will's  reactions  upon 
experience  in  the  light  of  instinctive  and  other 
habitual  responses  of  the  entire  organism.  Out 
of  the  various  desires,  emotions,  memory-images, 
and  impulses  which  well  up  within  us  we  begin 
to  select  those  that  fulfil  our  purpose  in  life,  hence 
we  lay  the  foundations  of  character.  This  mental 
co-ordination  is  indeed  partly  determined  by  our 


Success  237 

education,  environment,  and  vocation.  Yet  the 
time  conies  when  we  either  break  with  our  past 
or  accept  it  for  the  most  part  because  it  tends  to 
fulfil  our  idea. 

Every  one  of  us  is  aware  of  divisions  within  the 
self,  and  these  in  extreme  cases  involve  split-off 
consciousness  which  for  the  time  is  like  another 
personality.  But  this  does  not  prove  that  there 
are  actually  two  or  more  men  within  us.  The 
resource  is  to  follow  the  principle  outlined  in  our 
study  of  mental  co-ordination,  namely,  elimination 
of  undesirable  phases  of  the  self,  and  the  welding 
of  desirable  tendencies  into  a  single  consistent 
character  through  steady  concentration  on  a  line 
of  work  that  is  worth  while.  In  a  sense  we  are  all 
in  process  of  becoming  self-consistent.  It  is 
purpose,  a  work  to  do  that  enlists  all  our  activi- 
ties, which  calls  us  into  unity.  People  who  have 
no  purpose  in  life  are  mere  collections  of  possibili- 
ties. It  is  an  inspiration  to  realise  that  character 
is  to  a  considerable  degree  what  we  create  out  of 
such  a  collection  by  meeting  opposition,  overcom- 
ing obstacles,  mastering  our  disposition,  steadily 
working  towards  the  goal  of  our  highest  aspirations. 
For  we  need  not  be  troubled  by  the  unruliness 
which  rises  into  expression  to  test  our  strength. 
Nor  need  we  in  any  way  identify  what  we  will 
to  be  with  the  lower  selfhood. 

It  might  be  contended  that  the  person  with  a 


238  Human  Efficiency 

weak  will,  like  the  victim  of  divided  personality, 
really  has  no  will  at  all.  This  may  be  true  from 
the  point  of  view  of  a  noble  standard  of  self -consist- 
ency. But  to  insist  on  this  point  would  be  to  forget 
the  important  distinction  on  which  we  have  in- 
sisted, that  disposition  is  not  the  same  as  character. 
A  man  of  yielding,  receptive  disposition  does  indeed 
appear  to  be  without  a  will  during  the  period  of  his 
life  in  which  he  is  finding  himself,  meeting  and 
learning  the  influences  which  affect  him  deeply. 
But  his  experimental  years  pass  when  he  discovers 
an  interest  that  enlists  his  powers.  His  receptivi- 
ties are  then  dedicated  to  ideal  influences,  and  the 
will-power  that  was  formerly  scattered  and  divided 
is  concentrated. 

A  person  of  strenuous  or  tyrannical  disposition 
is  known  in  the  world  as  one  of  strong  character. 
But  character  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word  begins 
when,  as  in  the  case  of  the  weak-willed  person, 
there  has  been  regeneration.  The  alleged  strength 
is  partly  due  to  the  conflict  between  a  pronounced 
disposition,  and  the  moral  influences  of  society 
which  tend  to  overcome  this  strong  self-will.  Like- 
wise in  the  case  of  the  weak-willed  person  there  is 
a  conflict  between  an  essentially  pliable  disposition 
and  the  forces  that  make  for  character.  In  both 
cases  there  are  virtues  and  weaknesses  in  the  dispo- 
sition. The  weak-willed  person  is  ordinarily  one 
who  is  more  moderate  in  bringing  to  the  surface 


Success  239 

the  powers  that  make  for  strength  of  character. 
But  there  may  be  as  much  tenacity,  on  occasion 
as  great  obstinacy,  as  the  strong-willed  person 
shows.  For  some  people  are  temperamentally 
courageous,  abounding  in  resistances,  while  others 
gradually  acquire  resistance,  and  courage.  In  the 
e^id  the  so-called  weak  man  may  be  as  strong  as  his 
opponent.  Indeed,  he  may  be  more  closely  co- 
ordinated, since  his  gradual  emergence  into  free- 
dom through  the  discovery  of  a  favouring  line  of 
action  gives  him  sure  command  of  his  resources. 
Hence  he  acquires  strength  to  meet  harder 
situations. 

Character  in  brief  is  constancy  in  the  pursuit 
of  a  purpose,  and  involves  self-reliance,  fidelity, 
definiteness,  self-consistency  as  a  progressive 
ideal,  obedience  in  the  sense  of  acceptance  of  the 
law  of  the  universe.  It  also  implies  a  measure  of 
independence,  originality,  and  initiative.  In 
marked  cases  it  goes  with  profound  insight,  the 
power  to  think  out  the  laws  of  things,  to  think 
for  the  age  in  which  one  lives. 

No  doubt  every  person  of  pronounced  charac- 
ter is  in  a  sense  a  severe  critic.  Yet  there  is  a 
vast  difference  between  the  demand  for  perfection 
and  the  idealism  that  sees  the  wisdom  of  things  in 
the  making.  Genuine  large-mindedness  goes  with 
the  acceptance  of  life  and  of  people.  Hence  it  is 
not  so  literal,  has  room  for  the  imagination,  as  well 


240  Human  Efficiency 

as  for  a  sense  of  humour.  It  accordingly  generates 
contentment  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word.  One 
who  has  attained  it  is  not  only  charitable  but  is 
ready  to  overlook  faults  and  have  a  "blind  eye." 

We  may  also  learn  to  live  in  two  worlds  at  a 
time,  the  world  of  our  work  and  that  of  the  imagi- 
nation. Side  by  side  with  the  weightiest  burdens 
we  may  carry  a  poetic  romantic  region  into  which 
we  may  enter  at  will.  He  who  is  wise  and  free 
does  not  hesitate  to  remain  in  the  childhood  of  the 
world  in  this  respect,  or  even  to  people  every-day 
life  with  creatures  of  his  own.  Moreover,  the 
imagination  may  be  employed  in  the  construction 
of  our  plans  and  ideal  schemes. 

If  you  would  grow  in  efficiency,  associate  as 
often  as  you  can  with  people  of  marked  efficiency. 
Listen  to  speakers  of  uncommon  power  what- 
ever their  theme,  endeavouring  to  discover  their 
sources  of  power.  Hear  the  best  music,  visit 
the  galleries  where  the  best  pictures  may  be  seen, 
and  associate  when  you  can  with  people  of  marked 
executive  power.  Always  seek  the  best  and  your 
own  standard  will  rise.  The  principles  of  success 
are  virtually  the  same  in  all  the  arts. 

Our  inquiry  has  shown  precisely  how  to  begin 
if  we  would  secure  greater  efficiency.  First  we 
must  study  the  way  in  which  we  work  or  live  now, 
then  consider  how  it  can  best  be  done  on  scientific 
principles.  Having  developed  our  schedule  or 


Success  241 

plan,  we  must  put  before  the  mind  an  incentive 
sufficient  to  enlist  our  energies,  patiently  training 
ourselves  so  far  as  need  be.  Since  it  is  the  objective 
that  calls  us  into  power,  we  may  concentrate  on 
that,  forgetting  about  the  processes  of  mind  and 
body.  Thus,  having  passed  through  the  self- 
conscious  period  in  which  we  have  questioned 
nearly  everything  that  is  in  our  nature,  we  may 
again  give  over  most  of  our  activities  to  the  con- 
trol of  habits,  absorbing  ourselves  more  and  more 
in  our  work. 

In  our  study  of  the  will  we  saw  that  it  is  possible 
to  make  the  effort  required  to  overcome  the  iner- 
tias of  our  lower  nature  by  paying  sufficient  atten- 
tion to  the  end  to  be  attained,  since  it  is  the  drawing 
power  of  the  ideal,  not  the  prodding  from  behind, 
that  secures  volitional  efficiency.  The  more  we 
know  about  the  resistances  to  be  overcome  and 
the  lines  of  approach,  the  more  directly  we  may 
concentrate  on  the  goal.  Since  work  consists  in 
the  first  place  in  the  victory  over  the  inertia  of  the 
brain,  we  now  know  how  to  enlist  the  energies 
of  the  organism  without  spending  our  strength 
where  it  will  be  of  no  avail.  It  is  this  knowledge 
which  gives  real  power. 

The  same  principles  show  how  to  win  our  way 
with  other  people.  First  considering  the  nature 
of  the  individual  to  be  met,  the  probable  resist- 
ances, prejudices,  and  inertias,  one  naturally  avoids 

16 


242  Human  Efficiency 

self-assertive  methods,  coerciveness,  and  dogma- 
tism, by  appealing  to  the  other's  interests,  arous- 
ing the  attention  in  such  a  way  as  to  call  reason 
into  play.  The  intellect  once  persuaded,  the  heart 
touched,  then  the  rest  will  follow.  Here  is  the 
heart  of  the  matter  psychologically  speaking. 
The  secret  of  efficiency  lies  in  the  right  appeal 
to  the  attention. 

Here  too  is  the  turning-point  in  all  self -improve- 
ment. The  greatest  victories  are  won  at  the  cru- 
cial centre  where  through  work  energy  is  brought 
into  action  inspired  by  an  ideal.  For  is  it  not  here 
that  pride  is  conquered  and  selfishness  transmuted? 
Is  it  not  here  that  hate  is  changed  into  love,  passion 
into  gentleness,  unruliness  into  obedience? 

The  heart  of  efficiency,  the  secret  of  success, 
lies  here.  Efficiency  has  resolved  itself  into  the 
victorious  expression  of  the  will  in  the  presence  of 
an  adequate  incentive,  with  the  power  of  paying 
attention  which  overcomes  the  resistances  of 
habit  and  disposition.  We  need  no  longer  condemn 
ourselves  or  others.  We  need  not  falter  or  be 
discouraged.  It  is  first  a  question  of  knowledge, 
then  of  quietly  persistent  effort.  The  victory  won 
at  the  centre,  the  organism  as  a  whole  can  be 
brought  into  full  play.  The  victory  gained  in  our 
own  selfhood,  we  may  lead  others  along  the  same 
road. 

Is  it  merely  a  question  then  of  the  survival  of 


Success  243 

the  wisest?  Shall  we  do  nothing  for  the  unfit? 
That  would  be  to  advocate  the  other  extreme. 
We  are  pleading  for  the  right  of  the  efficient  to 
become  more  efficient  and  achieve  the  type.  To 
raise  the  standard  is  to  help  every  one.  Success 
is  impossible  at  best  unless  others  are  tenderly 
cared  for.  Love  is  the  greatest  success  in  the 
world.  Brotherhood  is  the  culmination.  Hence 
our  investigation  once  more  leads  beyond  mere 
prudence  and  self -development  to  the  heights  of 
the  moral  ideal.  * 

1  For  a  discussion  of  the  four  types  of  character,  see  McCunn's 
The  Making  of  Character,  New  York,  Macmillan.  With  reference 
to  vocational  guidance,  see  Choosing  a  Vocation,  by  Prof.  F. 
Parsons;  Vocational  Guidance,  by  M.  Bloomfield,  Houghton, 
Mifflin  and  Co. 


CHAPTER  X 

INSIGHT 

WHAT  is  the  choicest  gift  of  the  inner  life? 
I  do  not  say  the  greatest  gift,  for  we  agree 
that  the  greatest  is  love.  But  what  attainment  is 
most  rare,  most  widely  needed?  My  answer  is, 
insight,  the  ability  to  discern  the  significant  or 
essential  in  human  life;  to  know  a  worthy  or 
righteous  man,  a  sound  teacher,  faithful  worker, 
sincere  leader;  and  the  power  to  discern  ideal 
tendencies  in  the  conduct  and  character  of  men. 
Such  insight  is  an  ideal  to  be  striven  for  as  of 
priceless  value.  It  is  more  an  attainment  than  a 
gift  for  reasons  which  will  presently  appear.  Hence 
it  may  be  regarded  in  the  light  of  tendencies  now 
active  within  us,  and  with  reference  to  our 
special  interests.  If  awareness  of  our  shortcomings 
compels  us  to  disclaim  any  title  to  it,  we  may  at 
least  consider  what  conditions  are  within  our 
control,  under  what  modes  of  life  the  forces  that 
make  for  insight  are  fostered. 

That  there  is  abundant  need  of  insight  becomes 
plain  when  we  note  in  what  a  haphazard  fashion 

244 


Insight  245 

most  men  choose  a  vocation,  advise  others  in 
regard  to  the  vital  issues  of  life,  and  blunder  along 
amidst  conflicting  tendencies  within  their  own 
natures.  Ordinarily,  it  is  instinct,  impulse,  habit, 
or  emotion  that  rules,  while  the  life  of  thought 
plays  an  intermittent  part  in  the  rear.  In  the 
foregoing  chapters  we  have  been  showing  that 
this  haphazard  life  may  give  place  to  a  well- 
ordered  life  through  self-knowledge,  control,  co- 
ordination, right  volition,  and  the  growth  of  that 
philosophic  reflectiveness  for  which  we  have  argued 
as  .an  essential  to  success.  The  cultivation  of 
insight  accordingly  follows  as  matter  of  necessity 
if  we  are  to  carry  the  life  of  efficiency  to  the  highest 
level.  Here,  again,  we  are  concerned  with  an 
essentially  human  need,  as  imperative  in  the  com- 
mercial leader  as  in  the  legislator,  the  teacher,  the 
scholar,  or  the  parent.  Just  as  each  vocation 
reveals  principles  that  pertain  to  the  mode  of 
work  in  question,  so  experience  generates  its  gifts 
and  accumulates  the  wisdom  peculiar  to  the  specific 
task.  Nevertheless,  there  are  qualities  which 
pertain  to  insight  as  a  general  power.  Hence,  as 
in  our  study  of  success,  we  may  take  certain  prin- 
ciples for  granted,  assuming  that  each  man  knows 
what  applies  to  his  calling,  and  turn  to  the  less 
familiar  aspects  of  the  question.  We  also  assume 
a  certain  devotion  to  truth  and  righteousness 
without  which  it  can  hardly  be  a  question  of 


246  Human  Efficiency 

insight  at  all.  Mere  experience  may  make  us 
acquainted  with  the  wiles  of  men  and  the  "tricks 
of  the  trade" ;  it  may  also  give  us  discretion,  adap- 
tability, and  other  prudential  accomplishments. 
The  real  issues  come  in  sight  when  we  look  beyond 
mere  self-interest  to  the  realm  of  ideals.  Strictly 
speaking,  this  is  a  moral  question,  but  we  shall 
still  find  our  way  by  keeping  close  to  the  lines 
of  approach  to  the  ethical  ideal  which  psychologi- 
cal analyses  disclose. 

Some  one  has  said  that  nothing  is  so  dangerous 
as  a  half-truth.  The  difficulty  is  that  not  even  the 
prophets  of  such  doctrines  know  that  they  are 
half-truths,  while  the  scholars  who  could  expose 
and  correct  are  engaged  elsewhere.  This  is  well 
seen  in  the  case  of  beliefs  which  we  examined  in 
our  study  of  subconsciousness :  a  half-truth  ac- 
cepted means  false  inferences  all  along  the  line. 
We  are  sure  of  our  inferences  only  in  case  we  as 
individuals  possess  sufficient  knowledge  of  the 
human  mind  to  know  what  processes  are  central. 
It  is  imperative,  therefore,  that  each  of  us  shall  ac- 
quire a  standard  by  which  to  discern  the  realities 
and  truths  from  the  appearances  and  errors  with 
which  they  are  commingled.  This  calls  for  criti- 
cism not  only  of  the  instincts  and  prejudices  by 
which  we  are  ordinarily  influenced  but  of  the 
supposably  peculiar  powers  which  we  differenti- 
ate as  "psychical"  to  the  disparagement  of  reason. 


Insight  247 

We  begin  to  make  headway  with  the  distinction 
already  insisted  upon  between  mere  experience 
or  expression  and  the  principles  by  which  we  en- 
deavour to  interpret  the  experience  under  considera- 
tion. Of  far  more  consequence  than  an  experience 
which  leaves  us  with  a  sense  of  mystery,  as  if  by 
miracle  we  could  read  the  human  heart,  or  receive 
the  secrets  of  heaven,  is  the  possession  of  a  first 
principle  by  which  we  may  classify  all  our  experi- 
ences according  to  their  value  in  a  system.  For 
we  may  then  distinguish  between  the  first  form 
of  an  experience,  the  channel  through  which  it 
comes,  and  the  thought  through  which  we  analyse 
and  explain  it ;  we  may  single  out  a  first  impression 
of  human  character  and  relate  it  to  our  general 
knowledge  and  our  second  thought;  and  we  may 
rise  above  the  conservatisms  of  our  vocation  or 
creed  to  the  level  of  disinterested  insight. 

Assuming,  then,  that  insight  may  be  acquired, 
we  may  proceed  to  consider  its  nature,  its  sources, 
and  its  fruits.  This  inquiry  should  enable  us  to 
pursue  insight  as  an  ideal.  Looking  first  at  the 
reasons  why  insight  is  not  more  widely  sought,  we 
note,  in  addition  to  man's  subserviency  to  impulse, 
habit,  and  emotion,  that  there  is  widespread 
dependence  on  authority ;  an  erroneous  conception 
of  feeling,  intuition,  and  all  that  pertains  to  the 
immediate  side  of  man's  nature ;  also  disparagement 
of  intellectual  processes  such  as  analysis,  judgment, 


248  Human  Efficiency 

and  reasoning.  In  so  far  as  men  are  still  creatures 
of  impulse  and  habit,  we  must  of  course  wait  for 
a  quickening  experience  to  come  before  we  can 
aid  them  to  acquire  insight.  We  ordinarily  depend 
on  authoritative  leaders  and  creeds  because  of  the 
assumption  that  makers  of  systems  are  so  highly 
gifted  as  to  belong  to  a  distinct  class.  But  when 
we  discover  that  we  have  made  use  of  our  own 
powers  for  better  or  worse  in  making  choice 
between  leaders  and  creeds,  we  realise  that  all 
real  advancement  depends  on  the  growth  of  the 
individual  selfhood.  If  we  have  trusted  ourselves 
sufficiently  to  select  a  teacher,  a  creed  or  church, 
we  may  well  rely  on  our  selfhood  to  the  end.  Fur- 
thermore, it  is  plain  that  all  true  authority  is  ra- 
tional, universal;  and  that  we  are  free  from  special 
leadership  in  so  far  as  we  discern  principles  which 
stand  in  their  own  right. 

To  throw  off  subservient  acceptance  of  author- 
ity is,  however,  for  many  of  us  to  enter  into  a 
new  bondage  through  the  belief  that  intuition  is  a 
gift  or  endowment  superior  to  reason.  This  belief 
turns  upon  the  assumption  that  original  sentiments 
and  experiences  in  general  are  of  more  worth  than 
self-conscious  acquisitions.  The  real  enemy  of 
spiritual  enlightenment  is  the  dogmatic  assump- 
tion that  the  head  is  hostile  to  the  heart.  Firm  in 
our  desire  to  preserve  the  heart  intact,  we  lapse 
into  mere  acceptance  of  emotion,  impressions, 


Insight  249 

guidances,  and  intuitions,  fearing  to  subject  our 
inmost  life  to  the  scrutiny  of  the  intellect.  Thus 
the  reasons  for  not  acquiring  insight  resolve  them- 
selves into  arguments  against  the  cultivation  of 
individual  powers  of  thought. 

Insight  as  I  shall  employ  the  term  is  illumined 
reason,  a  synthesis  of  intuition  and  other  mental 
products  with  the  finer  processes  of  constructive 
thought.  It  begins  in  the  life  of  feeling,  hence  we 
may  look  for  its  sources  amidst  such  interests  in 
psychical  experiences  as  we  find  in  our  day.  It 
advances  from  the  level  of  mere  impressions,  pre- 
sentiments, leadings,  and  guidances  to  that  of 
intuition,  conscience,  the  inner  light.  It  becomes 
more  intellectual  in  proportion  as  it  becomes 
philosophical.  It  is  allied  with  sympathy,  with 
love,  and  the  other  benevolent  affections,  hence  a 
man  grows  in  insight  through  the  development  of 
the  altruistic  life.  Insight  is  an  attainment  rather 
than  an  endowment  because  however  gifted  no 
one  really  possesses  insight  until  his  faith  and  his 
leadings  have  met  the  varied  tests  of  experience 
and  constructive  thought.  What  is  imperative 
is  a  clue  to  the  ideal  elements  in  the  cosmos,  in 
events,  in  men,  in  experiences  that  tend  to  be- 
come moral  and  spiritual.  He  who  possesses  insight 
has  a  hope,  a  power  to  uplift  and  lead  unsurpassed 
even  by  those  who  have  a  great  measure  of  elemen- 
tal love. 


250  Human  Efficiency 

Experience  in  general  starts  us  on  our  way, 
gives  us  our  incentives,  stirrings,  conflicts,  duali- 
ties, finally  our  problems.  At  length  ideals  begin 
to  stand  out  in  contrast  with  the  conservative 
side  of  our  nature.  To  make  genuine  headway  in 
attaining  insight  we  need  a  theory  of  the  human 
self  which  has  overcome  the  old  antithesis  between 
the  head  and  the  heart.  Psychology  as  we  have 
already  seen  does  not  by  any  means  confirm  this 
popular  antithesis.  Even  though  in  character  one 
may  be  a  Dr.  Jekyll,  and  Mr.  Hyde,  the  mind 
functions  not  through  separate  faculties  but  by 
means  of  processes.  There  is  no  organ  or  power  in 
us  which  can  produce  an  intuition  or  feeling  as  a 
die  might  produce  a  coin,  granted  the  molten  metal; 
nor  is  conscience  an  inner  voice  which  can  hear 
in  secrecy  as  if  reason  were  forbidden  to  be  present. 
An  emotion  even  when  experienced  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  most  uplifting  object  in  human  life  is 
a  process  into  which  the  whole  soul  of  the  individ- 
ual enters  for  the  time  being,  and  the  emotion  is 
of  value  just  so  far  as  the  whole  personality  contri- 
butes to  it.  Into  an  intuition  though  apprehended 
by  the  noblest  woman  in  the  land  there  enters 
whatever  is  in  the  woman  whose  organism  pro- 
duces it,  and  its  temper  will  vary  with  the  tone 
of  the  personality.  Conscience  is  a  progressive 
quantity  varying  with  the  experience  and  thought 
of  the  one  for  whom  it  is  at  first  a  voice,  in  later 


Insight  251 

life  a  restraining  sentiment,  finally  a  process  of 
rational  reflection.  The  self  that  reasons  is  the 
same  that  has  emotions,  presentiments,  and  moral 
or  religious  experiences.  With  most  of  us  mental 
consistency  is  still  an  ideal,  but  this  does  not  alter 
the  fact  that  our  moods  and  mental  states  however 
fragmentary  pertain  to  one  mind.  The  terms 
"head"  and  "heart"  are  merely  figurative  expres- 
sions for  phases  of  the  same  mental  life. 

To  say  this  is  not  to  ignore  that  fact  that  when 
a  person  is  spontaneous  and  free  greater  illumina- 
tions may  come.  The  consensus  of  those  best 
equipped  to  judge  is  that  there  is  virtue  in  genuine 
childlikeness  of  heart,  in  humility,  and  in  intui- 
tions that  are  allowed  to  reveal  their  pristine 
content;  and  there  is  no  reason  to  gainsay  this 
judgment.  The  term  "heart,"  or  "the  spirit  in 
man,"  has  real  meaning  which  no  psychological 
analysis  can  take  away.  But  to  examine  such 
terms  is  to  find  that  the  real  contrast  implied  in 
them  is  not  between  the  heart  and  the  intellect 
but  between  inner  and  outer  within  the  same 
personality.  To  be  external  in  life,  attached  to 
worldly  things,  is  to  be  external  in  emotion,  judg- 
ment, character.  To  be  quickened  in  spirit  is  to 
have  the  centre  of  interest  transferred  to  the  inner 
life.  What  we  wish  to  eulogise  is  the  inner  centre 
which  we  would  preserve  untarnished  and  free. 
When  that  centre  is  found  and  known  the  intel- 


252  Human  Efficiency 

lectual  life  will  respond  as  readily  as  the  emotional. 
He  who  is  afraid  of  the  head  is  afraid  of  himself, 
while  he  who  is  unwilling  to  submit  a  creed  to  the 
tests  of  criticism  has  no  sure  hold  of  the  realities 
represented  by  it.  A  self-centred  man  will  employ 
his  head  to  show  that  all  men  are  selfish,  and  that 
therefore  the  only  resource  is  to  renounce  the 
intellect  in  favour  of  the  emotions.  The  implica- 
tion is  that  the  intellect  is  personal  in  an  undesir- 
able sense  whereas,  as  one  disciple  of  the  emotions 
put  it,  "feelings  are  from  God."  But  analysis 
shows  that  feelings  are  far  more  personal  than 
aught  else  in  the  inner  life,  while  mere  reliance  on 
emotions  tends  to  increase  self-centredness,  where- 
as reason  lifts  man's  consciousness  to  the  level  of 
the  universal.  The  difficulty  is  in  the  man  himself 
who  divides  head  from  heart.  As  long  as  we  hold 
that  emotions  or  feelings  alone  come  from  God  we 
are  likely  to  remain  inactive,  waiting  for  God  to 
bestow  a  compulsory  feeling  upon  us,  generate  an 
incentive  from  within.  But  if  we  have  learned 
that  God  quickens  us  through  the  understanding 
as  well  as  through  the  will  and  the  emotions,  we 
know  that  at  each  juncture  there  is  something  for 
us  to  do,  alternatives  to  face,  choices  to  be  made. 
One  who  should  wait  for  God  to  give  him  a  feeling 
that  is,  act  for  him,  might  indeed  wait  for  ever. 
The  contention  that  only  emotions  are  divine 
in  origin  is  a  purely  intellectual  conclusion  reached 


Insight  253 

through  imperfect  analysis  and  hasty  generalisa- 
tion. The  irony  of  the  situation  is  that  while  one 
is  apparently  revering  the  emotions  and  discount- 
ing the  intellect,  one  is  indulging  the  intellect  at 
the  expense  of  the  self.  Moral  insight  begins  with 
full  acceptance  of  the  inalienable  fact  of  respon- 
sibility. However  fragmentary  we  are,  now  tossed 
by  passionate  and  fear-driven  emotions,  now 
slaves  to  instinct  and  impulse,  with  flashes  of 
rationality  between,  it  is  incumbent  on  us  to  be 
upright,  to  be  one,  to  be  moral.  The  head  and 
the  heart  are  merely  two  among  various  phases  of 
the  inner  life  all  of  which  are  subject  to  the  attitude 
a  man  maintains.  It  is  a  man's  prevailing  love 
that  decides  the  case,  and  what  he  loves  he  will 
plead  for.  If  a  devotee  of  external  things,  mind 
and  heart  will  make  these  seem  worthy  of  every 
endeavour.  If  dedicated  to  a  special  theory  of 
the  subjective  life,  all  the  resources  of  the  intellect 
will  be  brought  to  bear  to  prove  a  subjective  life 
supreme. 

Instead  of  beginning  with  an  exclusive  proposi- 
tion, as  if  there  were  but  one  source  of  insight,  it 
is  more  profitable  to  start  with  the  assumption 
that  everything  in  man  may  be  a  channel  of 
guidance,  from  passion  and  instinct  to  the  beatific 
vision.  It  then  becomes  a  question  of  degrees  of 
nearness  to  the  divine,  and  of  illuminating  stand- 
ards. For  there  are  no  walls  between  our  powers. 


254  Human  Efficiency 

We  cannot  wholly  check  our  thoughts  while  giving 
ourselves  to  an  altruistic  emotion  or  the  moral 
will.  It  is  a  question  of  emphasis  among  elements 
and  dispositions  always  present.  What  is  needed 
is  not  a  line  of  distinction  between  head  and  heart, 
but  knowledge  of  the  difference  between  experience 
and  the  interpretation  of  experience.  For  so  long 
as  one  confuses  the  two  one  is  like  a  house  divided 
against  itself.  Interpret  we  must,  we  can  by  no 
means  avoid  it.  The  real  resource  is  to  interpret 
in  earnest,  distinguishing  between  the  sources  of 
experience  and  the  mind  through  which  they  come, 
the  character  that  underlies  the  mind  and  the 
goals  to  which  experiences  lead.  Mere  origin 
counts  for  extremely  little;  values,  worths,  ideals, 
count  for  very  much.  The  function  of  insight  is 
to  disclose  what  is  worth  while,  and  to  show  what 
forces  secure  it. 

These  distinctions  become  more  plain  when  we 
analyse  a  term  such  as  the  "inner  light"  under 
which  we  symbolise  certain  of  our  spiritual  powers. 
This  term  is  not  so  philosophical  as  "insight," 
but  marks  a  decided  advance  beyond  the  stage 
of  emotionalism  and  all  dependence  on  uncritically 
accepted  impressions,  sentiments,  and  instincts. 
As  employed  by  the  Friends  and  other  believers  in 
the  indwelling  Spirit,  it  does  not  stand  for  mere 
lucidity,  clairvoyance,  or  any  psychical  power 
displayed  under  occult  or  uncanny  conditions,  but 


Insight  255 

implies  a  higher  source  of  illumination  through 
which  divine  guidances  are  revealed.  Hence  it  is 
not  a  mere  power  of  yielding  to  an  influence,  like 
mediumship,  but  one  that  implies  aspiration  to 
realise  the  self  in  highest  measure.  Receptivity 
to  it  involves  discrimination  between  the  various 
promptings  of  man's  nature,  the  observance  of 
certain  conditions  of  silence,  obedience,  and  will- 
ingness to  follow.  Its  products  are  not  mere  re- 
collections, or  like  an  uprush  from  the  subliminal 
region  revealing  new  combinations  of  experiences 
and  thoughts.  All  these  may  enter  in  and  be 
transfigured,  indeed  the  disciple  of  the  inner  light 
inevitably  contributes  whatever  resources  there 
may  be  on  hand.  The  significant  consideration  is 
acceptance  of  a  standard  such  that  one  looks  for 
inspiration  that  is  very  high  and  uplifting.  The 
experience  of  recipiency  therefore  differs  from  the 
ecstasy  of  the  mystics  because  it  is  temperate,  re- 
strained, and  the  emotional  union  between  human 
and  divine  is  not  blurred  by  pantheistic  complica- 
tions. The  inner  light  is  not  supernatural,  aristo- 
cratic, the  property  of  the  elect;  but  is  natural, 
democratic,  universal,  literally  a  centre  of  spiritual 
illumination  to  which  any  man  at  any  time  may 
take  whatever  experience  or  idea  may  arise  in 
order  that  he  may  test  it.  In  so  far  as  divine  it  is 
the  Christ  in  all  men.  In  so  far  as  human  its 
activity  implies  temperament,  a  man's  views  of 


2.56  Human  Efficiency 

human  nature,  human  life,  God,  and  the  cosmos. 
It  is  akin  to  conscience,  although  not  limited  to 
essentially  moral  insights;  believers  in  the  inner 
light  are  ordinarily  those  who  proclaim  individual 
liberty  of  conscience.  Its  processes  are  similar 
to  those  which  we  usually  describe  as  intellectual, 
but  an  intellectual  process  ordinarily  proceeds  by 
self-conscious  stages,  from  fact  or  premise  to  con- 
clusion; whereas  the  inner  light  is  more  allied  to 
feeling  and  quick  flashes  of  thought.  Again,  we 
distinguish  a  person  in  whom  this  light  shines  by 
the  life  that  results,  the  sweet  serenity,  the  beauty 
of  countenance,  the  peace-loving  ways,  and  other 
modes  of  conduct  that  manifest  the  quietude  or 
poise  which  prevails  within.  Such  life  we  well  know 
neither  implies  the  possession  of  a  peculiar  faculty 
nor  an  exclusive  type  of  experience,  but  mani- 
fests itself  in  the  character  of  one  who  responds 
in  actual  deeds  of  thought  and  will  to  the  guidances 
or  power  revered  as  divine.  What  is  all  this  if  not 
a  thoroughgoing  admission  that  emotions,  head, 
heart,  all  the  tendencies  that  constitute  the  inner 
life  enter  into  these  illuminations  and  their  fruits? 
Now,  the  inner  light  may  well  be  in  some  measure 
an  endowment,  such  that  everything  depends 
upon  the  initial  gleamings  contrasted  with  the 
outer  darkness  of  the  senses,  gleamings  which  in  a 
responsive  mind  are  permitted  to  grow.  But  the 
point  is  that  the  inner  light  is  revealed  through 


Insight  257 

growth,  that  the  progressive  function  counts  for 
more  than  the  structure.  Another  important 
characteristic  of  its  original  estate  ±s  its  power  of 
survival  even  when  the  man  in  question  is  clouded 
by  sensuous  consciousness,  apparently  lost  until  a 
saviour  comes  who  fans  the  mere  spark  once  more 
inf;o  flame.  What  we  are  eager  for  is  not  the 
divine  spark  but  the  divine  illumination  which  we 
believe  will  come  when  we  let  our  light  so  shine 
that  it  shall  fill  manhood's  mature  life. 

The  same  principles  are  discoverable  when  we 
analyse  intuition.  An  intuitive  person  is  commonly 
one  who  takes  the  lead  when  the  facts  and  reasons 
are  not  as  yet  fully  clear.  Intuition  appears  in 
striking  degree  either  in  the  case  of  those  who  are 
uncommonly  pure  and  spontaneous  or  those  who 
have  great  powers  of  self-abandonment.  So  far 
as  consciously  sought,  an  intuition  is  secured 
rather  through  interior  listening  than  through 
inductive  reasoning.  Yet  an  intuition  when 
verified  displays  the  same  content  as  a  process  of 
conscious  thought.  The  intuitive  element  of  our 
knowledge  is  akin  to  the  faith  which  is  the  "sub- 
stance of  things  hoped  for."  It  connects  our 
consciousness  with  the  spiritually  essential,  the 
ideal  goal;  while  the  province  of  experience 
followed  by  reason  is  to  test,  hence  to  know  and 
fully  to  possess.  It  is  natural  that  an  intuitive 
person  should  as  life  advances  place  more  emphasis 
17 


258  Human  Efficiency 

on  detailed  knowledge  and  the  reasons  therefor. 

We  might  say  that  the  inner  light  is  the  effi- 
ciency while  intuition  is  the  product.  The  intuitive 
side  of  our  nature  as  a  whole  is  closely  contiguous 
to  its  objects,  so  that  when  we  discern  an  end  or 
result  intuitively  we  appear  to  be  almost  one  with 
it.  Out  of  this  union  comes  the  illuminating  clue. 
There  is  every  reason  to  revere  the  clue,  allowing 
it  to  yield  its  full  content,  lead  us  as  far  as  it  can. 
Analysis  and  comparison  rightfully  begin  when 
one  has  had  the  experience,  reached  the  goal. 
Reason  does  not  detract  from,  it  adds  to  intuition. 
By  insight  one  means  the  additional  grasp  of  the 
situation  which  reason  contributes  through  know- 
ledge of  law,  interpretation  of  experience.  The 
man  of  insight  has  reached  the  stage  of  wisdom. 
If  we  revered  wisdom  more  and  mere  experience 
less,  we  should  more  steadily  pursue  insight  as  an 
ideal. 

Another  approach  to  the  nature  of  insight  is 
found  when  we  compare  various  phases  of  the  so- 
called  spiritual  life.  Find  a  person  who  makes 
of  the  spiritual  life  a  direct  object  of  pursuit 
because  of  his  subjective  experiences  and  you  will 
be  apt  to  find  one  who  is  self-centred.  We  may 
indeed  admire  the  earnestness  of  such  a  person, 
we  may  wish  that  all  men  displayed  as  much  zeal. 
But  what  else  do  we  say?  That  there  will  be  no 
way  to  test  the  reality  of  the  religious  experiences 


Insight  259 

on  which  such  a  one  places  stress  until  the  life  of 
service  begins.  For  reality  is  social,  that  is,  is 
intelligible  when  scientifically  interpreted,  and  the 
test  of  an  unusual  experience  is  its  applicability 
to  human  needs.  Hence  we  say,  that  if  this  man 
or  woman  who  has  been  uplifted  by  a  great 
spiritual  emotion  will  come  out  of  the  subjective 
life,  endeavour  to  meet  people  where  they  are,  and 
undergo  the  contests  which  such  associations 
bring,  the  contrasts  will  appear  which  show  what 
is  sound,  and  what  is  unsound  in  the  subjective 
vision. 

This  seems  like  a  hard  saying,  this  statement 
that  one  who  thus  makes  the  spiritual  a  personal 
aim  is  self-centred.  Yet  we  are  all  the  while 
judging  people  by  this  standard  in  our  modern 
time.  Without  being  fully  aware  whither  our 
thinking  has  led  us  we  have  become  converted 
to  the  general  principle  that  sociality  is  the  test 
of  everything  real  and  true.  Hence  we  withhold 
commendation  until  we  know  what  the  life  is. 
If  the  life  be  outgoing,  if  it  be  able  to  withstand 
the  test  of  little  events  and  tribulations,  we  say, 
"Thus  far  well  and  good."  But  we  are  suspi- 
cious of  that  which  a  man  keeps  to  himself  because 
he  esteems  himself  above  others,  because  he  deems 
his  life  peculiar,  or  regards  it  as  a  sign  that  he  is 
saved. 

The  spirituality  that  is  sane  and  is  worthy  of 


260  Human  Efficiency 

adoption  as  evidence  of  genuine  insight,  is  co- 
ordinated with  the  rest  of  life,  leads  towards 
balance,  reason.  Here  is  a  man,  for  example,  who  is 
working  at  a  congenial  occupation  for  a  moderate 
sum,  and  is  placed  in  fairly  comfortable,  happy 
surroundings.  He  does  not  pray  on  stated  occa- 
sions or  in  any  respect  make  a  display  of  the  inner 
life.  The  life  of  devotion  plays  its  quietly  moderate 
part,  when  he  serves  others  he  is  unobtrusive,  and 
a  large  part  of  the  time  he  is  absorbed  in  the 
natural  interests  which  lie  at  hand.  He  does  not 
make  a  living  out  of  his  spirituality  but  permits 
the  spiritual  to  be  a  spontaneous  growth.  Not 
unduly  introspective,  he  yet  devotes  a  portion 
of  his  time  to  solitary  thought.  With  him  the 
spiritual  life  is  a  crowning  result  bestowed  because 
many  other  ends  are  pursued.  Such  a  man  pos- 
sesses elements  of  insight  which  he  can  develop 
without  first  tearing  down  that  he  may  rightly 
build. 

We  sometimes  say  of  the  scholar,  and  even  of 
the  social  worker,  that  he  "lacks  vision."  But 
does  this  mean  that  he  is  temperamentally  limited 
so  that  insight  cannot  be  his?  Say  rather  of  him 
and  of  any  specialist  that  if  he  will  study  life 
philosophically  he  can  grow  in  knowledge  of  first 
principles,  and  first  principles  inspire  insight. 
Practical  workers  are  oftentimes  well-equipped  in 
their  particular  fields,  but  have  not  yet  considered 


Insight  261 

the  relation  of  such  work  to  universal  ideals. 
The  social  worker  may  never  have  studied  the 
ethical  ideals  which  have  inspired  men  through 
the  ages,  but  may  be  seeking  the  immediate  with- 
out asking  whither  the  immediate  good  shall  lead. 
In  other  words,  the  practical  worker  usually  lives 
in  details.  What  is  needed  is  scope,  and  scope 
of  thought  comes  through  study,  hence  is  attain- 
able by  all  who  are  willing  to  think. 

Dedication  to  the  fine  arts  leads  to  insight  when 
the  love  of  beauty  becomes  a  universal  interest. 
So  long  as  the  artist  is  a  mere  painter,  sculptor,  or 
musician,  feeling  after  values,  depending  on  what 
he  calls  "taste,"  he  remains  local,  like  the  social 
reformer  who  is  a  partisan.  But  when  the  love 
of  beauty  is  lifted  from  the  sensuous  level  to  that 
of  thought,  and  the  kinship  between  the  arts  and 
the  sciences  is  seen,  then  begins  the  dawning  of 
insight.  What  discovery  is  more  memorable  in 
the  entire  range  of  aesthetic  experiences  and  artis- 
tic productiveness  than  the  vision  of  the  unity 
of  the  true,  the  beautiful,  and  the  good?  Then 
the  lover  of  fair  forms  and  exquisite  shadings  is 
lifted  out  of  the  world  of  time  into  a  region  where 
he  may  readily  pass  to  the  truth-seeker's  field 
and  that  of  the  disciple  of  righteousness,  beholding 
what  is  essential,  identifying  it  with  his  own  ideals, 
although  not  himself  a  scholar  or  one  who  is  quick- 
ened by  zeal  for  souls.  The  insight  of  the  artist 


262  Human  Efficiency 

is  always  valued  by  lovers  of  the  true  and  the  good 
who  are  likewise  children  of  the  eternal,  for  all 
insight  converges  as  we  approach  the  universal. 

Thus  insight  is  partly  empirical,  drawing  upon 
the  resources  of  a  man's  calling,  and  partly  trans- 
cendental. The  artist  who  possesses  it  knows  how 
to  lead  the  way  from  the  imperfect  forms  which  the 
eye  beholds  into  the  realm  of  the  eternally  ideal 
in  such  a  way  as  not  to  neglect  the  things  of  earth 
for  those  of  heaven.  Music  enables  us  most  readily 
of  all  the  arts  to  make  the  transition.  But  it  is  apt 
to  leave  the  majority  of  people  in  the  realm  of 
feeling,  and  only  in  the  case  of  the  few  does  it 
lead  to  creative  thought. 

Can  it  be  said  that  large  numbers  of  church 
members  have  attained  the  level  of  universal 
insight?  It  would  seem  not,  since  we  find  the 
world  divided  into  multitudes  of  cults,  and  within 
each  cult  sectarian  distinctions  without  limit. 
The  accidents  rather  than  the  essentials  are  often 
counted  as  things  of  the  Spirit,  and  we  still  find 
even  the  leaders  maintaining  that  their  church 
and  theirs  only  is  the  door  to  salvation.  But  real 
salvation  is  to  discern  and  possess  the  universal 
Spirit  to  which  there  are  many  approaches.  He 
may  be  said  to  possess  insight  who  beholds  the 
reality  symbolised  by  creeds,  ceremonials,  prayers, 
conversions,  and  theologies.  He  who  possesses 
insight  should  be  able  to  lead  men  into  the  univer- 


Insight  263 

sal,  uplift  them,  reveal  a  vision.  He  will  care 
little  for  doctrines  or  modes  of  worship,  and  insti- 
tutions, but  will  employ  these  as  means  to  the 
great  end. 

The  greatest  fruits  of  insight  are  discoverable 
in  our  relationship  with  individuals.  He  who  can 
discern  the  heart,  and  call  it  forth  into  expression 
accomplishes  more  than  any  other.  By  such  in- 
sight one  does  not  mean  neglect  of  the  faults  and 
adverse  conditions  by  which  a  human  soul  is  at 
present  surrounded,  one  means  understanding  of 
all  these  and  more,  that  remarkable  power  of  love 
and  sympathy  coupled  with  the  illuminating  idea 
which  clarifies  the  pathway  of  the  soul.  It  is  the 
difference  between  seeing  all  the  parts  in  groups  or 
in  succession  and  seeing  the  whole.  Hence  it  is 
not  mere  encouragement,  optimism,  charity,  or 
judgment  according  to  motives;  it  is  an  actual 
summoning  of  more  or  less  dormant  powers,  a 
quickening  into  unity.  It  may  call  a  person  to 
judgment,  so  that  he  will  be  more  aware  of  his 
failures  than  before,  but  only  that  through  these 
the  ideal  may  clearly  stand  forth.  For  insight  is  a 
power,  it  is  creative.  If  like  a  lightning  flash  it  is 
preceded  by  dark  clouds,  its  light  goes  forth  to 
reveal  new  possibilities,  new  beauties.  Hence  it 
inspires,  thrills,  transforming  the  dull  prose  of 
life  into  enticing  poetry. 

We  have  all  seen  those  quiet,  thoughtful  people 


264  Human  Efficiency 

who  move  among  their  associates  as  if  less  social. 
At  times  they  seem  under  great  restraint,  absorbed, 
remote,  and  we  wonder  why  they  do  not  unbend 
and  join  with  the  rest.  But  see  them  at  their 
true  vocation  and  you  realise  what  this  remoteness 
means.  With  more  charity,  more  sympathy,  more 
love  than  you  and  I  display,  they  associate  with 
those  whom  we  are  inclined  to  despise  and  con- 
demn as  if  we  were  made  of  finer  substance.  It 
is  not  so  much  what  they  say  as  their  manner,  the 
attitude  of  power  which  they  carry,  the  purity 
which  inspires  purity,  the  frankness  which  calls 
out  frankness  in  return.  In  the  presence  and  when 
looking  into  the  eyes  of  such  a  one,  the  sinner  will 
be  moved  to  confess,  but  that  is  not  the  point. 
The  significant  factor  is  the  belief  in  oneself  which 
such  a  man  inspires  when,  looking  through  the 
deeds  and  present  traits  of  character  to  the  end,  he 
expresses  the  tenderness  or  utters  the  summoning 
word  that  lifts  the  soul  into  command,  opens  the 
way  for  a  new  beginning. 

What  work  in  the  world  is  more  noble  than  this 
service  in  behalf  of  the  ideal,  a  service  which  anni- 
hilates class-distinctions  and  makes  all  men  akin? 
This  is  not  "saving  souls,"  it  is  not  a  work  that 
springs  from  anxiety,  but  has  passed  far  beyond 
such  elementary  motives.  Its  disciple  is  at  peace 
within,  convinced  that  there  is  freedom  for  all. 
He  is  calm  in  attitude  and  in  conduct,  makes  no 


Insight  265 

display,  and  is  not  in  haste  to  convert  numbers. 
He  shows  by  his  attitude  and  his  wisdom  that  he 
too  has  met  temptation  and  the  tribulations  of 
inward  growth.  Hence  his  is  not  the  voice  of  mere 
innocence,  although  he  may  have  preserved  him- 
self unspotted  from  the  world  and  may  never  have 
stooped  to  mean  or  self-seeking  motives.  One 
realises  in  his  presence  that  he  has  command  of 
higher  powers,  superior  resources  on  which  to  draw. 
He  refrains  from  mingling  in  many  of  the  labours, 
amusements,  and  other  activities  of  the  world, 
not  because  he  disdains  these  or  dislikes  those 
who  are  given  over  to  them,  but  because  he  has 
found  interests  of  such  worth  that  if  his  fellow- 
men  could  but  have  the  vision  they  would  leave 
all  and  follow.  It  was  said  of  one  who  had  this 
remarkable  power  that  while  other  men  thought 
out  systems  of  philosophy  he  "thought  men," 
that  is,  saw  what  they  could  do  as  pioneers  and 
inspired  them  to  undertake  their  tasks.  The 
Master,  calling  his  twelve  disciples  as  he  meets 
them  by  the  way,  is  the  ideal  exemplification  of 
this  summoning  of  those  who  are  fitted  to  ac- 
complish a  certain  work. 

Would  it  be  possible  to  give  such  a  description 
of  the  fruits  of  insight  were  it  not  within  our  power 
to  acquire  it?  Do  we  not  let  opportunities  pass 
every  day  in  which  we  might  have  believed  in  men, 
might  have  been  loyal  to  the  ideal  for  which  they 


266  Human  Efficiency 

are  striving,  might  have  loved,  when  we  merely 
turned  away  or  uttered  dislike  and  condemnation? 
Is  there  one  of  us  in  whom  consciousness  of  the 
ideal  element  is  lacking? 

I  hope  I  have  shown  that  insight  is  a  growth, 
that  it  increases  from  more  to  more  in  those  who 
lay  bare  their  problems  before  the  inner  light,  who 
make  the  fullest  use  of  intuition,  who  are  true  to 
the  inmost  promptings  of  the  heart.  For  it  must 
then  be  clear  that  we  are  not  in  any  way  cut  off 
from  the  sources  or  deprived  of  the  fruits  of  insight. 
The  sources,  I  have  said,  may  on  occasion  be  any 
quality  or  power  that  is  in  us,  even  instinct  or  the 
restless  emotions.  For  it  is  the  whole  personality 
that  receives,  and  the  whole  personality  may 
contribute.  Insight  begins  and  works  within  the 
sphere  of  the  promptings  or  leadings  which  ally  us 
with  the  life  that  is  at  hand.  But  it  mounts  from 
the  elemental  into  the  self-conscious,  the  critical 
and  reflective,  and  is  enriched  by  contests,  experi- 
ence, and  the  strivings  of  the  soul.  It  does  not 
thrive  long  without  love,  hence  it  bears  to  the  end 
an  element  of  emotion,  enthusiasm,  or  zeal,  the 
quality  of  the  heart  which  reaches  forth  with 
yearning,  touches  another  soul  with  compassionate 
tenderness,  and  inspires  considerateness  at  every 
turn.  A  man  must  keep  close  to  humanity  to 
grow  into  great  insight,  must  know  what  is  in  men 
by  being  with  them.  Hence  experience  avails 


Insight  267 

more  than  mere  gifts,  and  the  more  deeply  a  man 
has  lived  the  greater  will  be  his  power. 

But  I  hope  I  have  shown  that  insight  is  much 
more  than  this.  To  be  spiritual  it  must  yield 
visions  of  the  eternal,  the  transfiguring  unity  out 
of  which  arise  the  beautiful,  the  true,  and  the  good. 
It  is  possible  for  any  one  to  attain  the  level  of 
insight  who,  consecrating  himself  either  to  art, 
to  science,  or  righteousness,  endeavours  to  pursue 
his  eternal  ideal  to  the  end.  Sometime  there  is 
likely  to  dawn  in  the  consciousness  of  all  who  are 
faithful  the  realisation  that  they  are  working  for 
the  ends  that  endure,  portraying,  thinking  about, 
and  displaying  in  conduct  the  supernal  essence 
which  underlies  all  moral  and  spiritual  endeavour. 

It  might  be  objected  that  we  have  placed  too 
much  stress  upon  growth  or  experience,  and  not 
enough  on  inheritance,  capacity,  gifts.  But  we 
have  already  cleared  up  these  matters  in  our  study 
of  subconsciousness.  Whatever  capacity  we  may 
possess,  whatever  gift  or  genius,  it  begins  to  be  a 
factor  in  our  life  when  it  is  brought  to  the  surface, 
when  it  becomes  a  factor  in  consciousness.  We 
are  in  a  sense  potentially  all  that  we  ever  become, 
but  what  concerns  us  is  the  expression,  not  the 
possibility.  As  merely  potential,  we  are  not  yet 
teachers,  leaders  of  men,  artists,  men  of  genius; 
it  is  "the  occasion"  that  makes  the  man.  There 
is  no  hidden  reservoir  of  truth  ready-made  and 


268  Human  Efficiency 

persuasively  complete,  no  subconscious  treasure- 
house  in  which  all  wisdom  is  stored.  As  great  as 
our  implicit  treasures  may  be,  we  know  nothing 
of  them  until  experience  calls  them  forth,  supplies 
them  with  subject-matter,  and  makes  them  alive 
with  meaning.  As  merely  potential  our  native 
capacities  and  intuitive  powers  are  forms  merely, 
waiting  to  be  filled.  Truth  is  such  when  made 
concrete,  practical.  Genius  is  itself  when  at  work. 
It  might  also  be  objected  that  the  fruitions  attri- 
buted to  gradually  acquired  insight  are  merely 
due  to  the  recovery  of  "ancient  remains,"  to  the 
recollection  of  wisdom  developed  in  a  previous 
existence,  or  to  the  later  development  of  ideas 
put  into  our  subconscious  minds  by  the  angels. 
The  adoption  of  any  one  of  these  hypotheses  would 
leave  us  in  precisely  the  same  state  as  that  already 
described.  What  I  have  to  deal  with  is  the  fruition, 
the  idea  that  is  true  for  me  to-day.  If  there  be 
"ancient  remains,"  I  recover  them  as  essences 
that  find  confirmation  only  so  far  as  I  work  them 
out  afresh,  and  there  would  seem  to  be  little  rea- 
son for  assuming  that  there  is  aught  more  than  a 
capacity  or  latent  power  born  with  us.  We  need 
not  explain  on  the  hypothesis  of  a  previous  incar- 
nation what  we  can  explain  by  experiences  nearer 
at  hand.  If  angels  put  ideas  into  our  minds  they 
become  truths  for  us  when  worked  out  in  the  usual 
way  as  our  own  thoughts.  It  would  seem  more 


Insight  269 

probable  that  we  are  helped  by  a  spiritual  light 
that  is  turned  upon  us  than  by  ideas  put  within 
us  to  work  mysteriously.  For  we  are  creatures 
of  will,  of  rationality,  first  of  all,  and  we  cannot 
accept  or  know  an  idea  except  as  our  own.  Hence 
the  seed-thought  or  guidance,  whatever  its  source, 
cotiforms  to  the  laws  of  ordinary  processes  of 
thought.  Not  until  an  idea  wins  our  assent  does 
it  become  a  subconscious  factor.  The  quick  flashes 
of  insight  by  which  we  survey  a  vast  field  of  know- 
ledge at  a  glance  are  higher  in  type  than  those 
that  are  eulogised  as  innate  or  subconscious.  The 
ideal  is  to  attain  the  level  of  universal  insight. 

To  have  insight  in  a  universal  sense  is  to  have 
a  philosophy,  and  of  course  one  means  idealism. 
For  we  have  proved  that  insight  becomes  more 
intellectual  as  it  advances.  Our  first  insights 
are  flashes,  incentives,  hopes  that  appear  like 
rifts  in  the  clouds  then  leave  us  to  develop;  the 
insight  that  abides  is  illumined  reason,  a  third 
stage  of  mentality,  higher  than  the  immediacies 
of  intuition,  higher  than  the  mere  understanding. 
Hence  by  the  term  insight  one  means  something 
more  than  the  beatific  vision,  mystic  enlighten- 
ment, or  cosmic  consciousness.  For  what  we  desire 
is  to  dwell  in  the  land  of  promise,  not  alone  to  see 
it.  We  wish  to  understand,  to  comprehend,  become 
masters,  knowing  the  spiritual  law  -and  its  uses, 
how  to  apply  it  and  how  to  be  free.  So  long  as 


270  Human  Efficiency 

I  have  merely  had  the  vision,  felt  the  ecstasy,  or 
apprehended  the  cosmic  moment  in  which  I  seem 
one  with  all  being,  I  am  likely  to  dwell  on  the  experi- 
ence as  especially  mine,  making  too  much  of  the 
subjective  elements.  Here  nearly  all  mystics 
remain,  hence  we  see  why  one  who  makes  a  special- 
ism of  the  spiritual  life  is  essentially  local,  if  not 
self-centred.  Seership  at  its  best  is  a  means  to  an 
end.  The  ideal  is  to  be  a  law  unto  oneself  even  in 
regard  to  the  things  of  the  Spirit. 

An  experience  is  not  possessed  until  rationalised, 
a  thing  or  event  is  not  understood  until  known  in 
detail.  The  beatific  vision  may  indeed  give  the 
illumination  without  which  the  intellectual  life 
were  naught.  But  the  goal  of  insight  is  to  gain  the 
universal,  and  the  universalising  function  of  the 
self  is  reason.  For  there  are  not  merely  reasons  for 
things,  but  Reason  itself,  the  Being  in  whose  mind 
our  own  minds  are  founded.  To  discover  that  there 
is  a  central  Reality  whose  reason  is  the  order, 
whose  will  is  the  motive  power  of  the  cosmos — 
this  is  to  possess  an  idealistic  insight  which  we  may 
turn  in  any  direction  and  find  that  it  explains. 

The  same  insight  that  reveals  the  nature  of  the 
cosmos  and  gives  the  mind  an  idealistic  principle 
which  applies  to  all  cases,  is  the  insight  that  clari- 
fies the  minds  and  hearts  of  men.  Truly  to  know 
a  man  is  to  know  him  as  idealism  cognises,  as  a 
child  of  the  cosmos  that  endures.  The  heavenly 


Insight  271 

love  which  is  touched  with  outgoing  compassion 
is  identical  with  the  knowledge  which  discloses  yet 
unifies  and  sees  far  beyond.  This  union  of  the 
life  of  sentiment  with  the  life  of  thought  is  much 
more  than  optimism,  for  ordinarily  optimism  is 
still  hoping,  achieving,  while  this  insight  has 
Actually  arrived.  The  same  order  that  gives  unity 
to  the  divine  Self  and  to  the  cosmos  can  bestow 
it  upon  the  finite  self.  It  may  not  express  its 
wisdom  in  deeply  impressive  tones  but  may  come 
forth  in  an  incidental  remark.  It  matters  little 
how  the  power  is  transmitted  if  so  be  that  it  is 
handed  on. 

Spiritual  insight,  then,  is  an  ideal  attainment 
put  within  reach  of  all  who  gather  the  elements 
from  the  incidents  of  life  and  let  them  achieve 
fruition.  Some  of  us  regard  a  day  as  well  spent 
if  it  bring  one  idea,  one  gleam  of  consciousness 
which  unifies  what  it  flashes  upon.  Mayhap  you 
and  I  can  adapt  our  lives  so  that  each  day  shall 
bring  both  its  insight  and  the  means  of  applying 
it  for  the  good  of  men.  If  we  have  lifted  our  con- 
sciousness to  the  heights  and  reckoned  with  such 
issues  as  this  chapter  suggests,  we  ought  to  be  able 
to  turn  to  the  specific  problems  of  human  service 
equipped  with  knowledge  which  shows  what  is 
worth  while.  We  should  be  able,  for  example, 
to  give  vocational  advice,  lead  men  into  lines  of 
reflection  which  will  reveal  them  to  themselves,  and 


272  Human  Efficiency 

call  those  with  whom  we  become  genuinely  ac- 
quainted into  power.  For,  once  more,  everything 
depends  upon  the  standard,  the  goal.  However 
deficient  we  may  be  in  wisdom  or  experience,  we 
inevitably  judge  by  such  wisdom  as  we  have. 
Hence  we  may  well  observe  the  conditions  which 
steadily  lift  us  to  higher  levels  of  thought  at  the 
centre. x 

1  In  The  Philosophy  of  the  Spirit,  New  York,  1908,  I  have  dis- 
cussed at  length  the  theory  of  man's  spiritual  nature  on  which 
the  above  discussion  is  based.  I  have  there  shown  that  the  empiri- 
cal element  in  intuition  is  merely  immediate,  while  the  content 
or  value,  is  mediate,  that  is,  essentially  intellectual.  The  evi- 
dence as  there  given  depends  on  a  study  of  the  higher  experiences 
of  the  moral  and  religious  life. 


CHAPTER  XI 

(  A  LAW  UNTO  ONESELF 

THE  tendency  of  the  preceding  discussions  has 
been  to  put  more  and  more  emphasis  on  the 
individual.  We  have  dwelt  on  the  co-ordinating 
powers  of  the  self  in  contrast  with  the  instincts 
and  emotions  which  are  commonly  eulogised. 
We  have  rescued  the  self  from  the  haziness  in 
which  popular  beliefs  immersed  it  by  making  so 
much  of  subconsciousness.  Our  study  of  the  ener- 
gies which  constitute  the  powers  of  the  genuinely 
active  man  also  added  to  the  conviction  that  the 
conscious  individual  skilfully  using  his  forces  is 
the  centre  of  efficiency.  Hence  our  interest  turned 
to  the  victorious  will,  the  principles  of  success, 
the  growth  of  character  as  a  self-made  product, 
and  the  adjustments  of  the  man  who  wisely  takes 
his  opportunities.  Finally,  our  study  of  insight 
broke  down  more  of  the  barriers  by  which  people 
gifted  with  intuition  have  been  set  apart  from  their 
fellows  and  proved  that  all  men  may  acquire 
the  inner  vision  which  shows  what  is  worth  while. 
Our  whole  study  of  efficiency  shows  that  far  more 
is  273 


274  Human  Efficiency 

depends  on  training  and  the  summations  of  experi- 
ence than  has  been  thought.  The  climax  came 
with  the  conclusion  that  even  insight  is  surpassed 
by  the  construction  of  an  idealism  which  may  be 
developed  out  of  its  finest  products. 

Yet  from  the  first  we  have  been  in  sight  of  an- 
other principle.  The  intelligent  man,  we  have 
pointed  out,  first  asks,  What  are  the  conditions  of 
life?  What  are  my  powers?  How  am  I  now  living 
and  working?  What  must  I  overcome  in  myself? 
Having  asked  these  questions  and  made  serious 
answer,  he  then  proceeds  through  obedience  to 
law,  to  nature,  society,  and  the  moral  order,  to 
organise  his  powers  so  as  to  gain  the  desired  end. 
As  much  as  he  may  make  of  himself  it  is  with 
profound  recognition  of  the  fact  that  he  is 
essentially  a  reactive  social  being,  dependent  at 
every  turn. 

Nevertheless,  it  will  be  well  for  us  to  take  as 
seriously  as  we  can  the  belief  that  a  man  can  be- 
come a  law  unto  himself.  For  we  are  apt  to  cherish 
the  notion  that  entire  freedom  shall  some  day  be 
ours,  without  having  seriously  tried  to  analyse 
this  conception  to  consider  what  true  emancipa- 
tion means.  We  surely  know  already  that  it  must 
be  a  question  of  interior  conditions  and  self-know- 
ledge, and  we  have  overcome  the  idea  that  freedom 
means  liberty  to  do  anything  we  like,  as  well  as  the 
dogma  that  no  alternatives  are  open  to  us.  Hence 


A  Law  unto  Oneself  275 

the  inquiry  cannot  fail  to  throw  light  on  the 
conditions  of  our  moral  selfhood. 

Not  to  make  the  question  too  difficult,  let  us 
say  that  he  is  already  in  some  sense  a  law  unto 
himself  who  knows  how  to  receive  and  act  upon 
advice  in  such  a  way  as  to  preserve  individuality. 
Every  one  knows  that  advice  is  a  subtle  quan- 
tity, intermingled  with  political,  financial,  religious, 
or  private  considerations.  Beset  by  conventions, 
and  the  mighty  forces  of  conservatism,  our  first 
problem  is  to  adjust  ourselves  to  the  imprisoning 
tendencies  of  our  environment.  Emerson  assures 
us  that  society  is  a  "conspiracy  against  the  man- 
hood of  every  one  of  its  members,"  and  that 
"whoso  would  be  a  man  must  be  a  non-conformist." 
He  is  free  who  is  able  either  to  adopt  or  discard 
conventionality.  For  example,  in  language  we  may 
conform  to  the  standards  of  rhetoric  and  endeavour 
to  speak  the  purest  English,  yet  also  adopt  an 
occasional  phrase  from  colloquial  speech  for  the 
sake  of  spontaneity. 

If  really  free,  we  are  able  to  throw  off  the  modes 
of  conduct  and  speech  peculiar  to  our  profession. 
To  be  human  is  to  be  more  than  an  artisan,  house- 
keeper, business  man,  or  teacher,  while  dedicating 
a  part  of  our  activities  to  these  vocations.  Al- 
though a  commonplace,  it  is  necessary  to  reiterate 
the  fact  that  to  become  mere  creatures  of  our 
occupation,  our  creed,  or  prevailing  habits,  is  ex- 


276  Human  Efficiency 

ceedingly  easy  for  most  of  us.  We  cannot  fulfil 
even  the  secondary  ideals  of  efficiency  unless  we 
cherish  the  determination  to  be  human  above  all 
else.  This  is  a  matter  that  demands  the  most 
serious  thought  of  every  man  and  every  woman, 
whether  wage-earner,  capitalist,  manual  labourer 
or  brain-worker.  It  is  the  most  vital  issue  in 
mental  co-ordination,  it  is  far  more  fundamental 
than  the  wise  control  of  our  energies,  and  it  under- 
lies the  law  of  success  as  ordinarily  understood. 
Indeed,  it  implies  the  central  question  which  we 
have  raised  from  time  to  time  as  our  inquiry  pro- 
ceeded, What  is  worth  while?  Have  we  the  power 
to  labour,  to  serve,  yet  to  achieve  the  high  ends 
which  ennoble  the  soul  and  make  it  a  thing  of 
dignity,  of  beauty,  and  of  power? 

For  the  woman,  the  determination  to  be  human 
means,  for  example,  the  preservation  of  those 
qualities  which  we  denominate  "feminine,"  not 
when  we  praise  ideals  of  chivalry  of  a  bygone 
time,  but  when  we  revere  the  sister,  the  wife  and 
mother  as  representatives  of  an  eternal  element  of 
supreme  worth.  If  the  woman  is  unmarried  and  a 
wage-earner,  this  means  intelligent  adaptation  to 
the  conditions  of  society  as  they  exist  to-day  so  as  to 
guard  against  numberless  subtle  temptations  and 
ambitions.  If  married,  it  calls  for  an  ideal  of  home- 
life  which  transcends  and  conquers  any  interest 
that  tends  to  draw  the  wife  away  from  the  home 


A  Law  unto  Oneself  277 

to  the  neglect  of  its  obligations,  its  blessings,  and 
its  joys.  If  a  mother,  the  ideal  becomes  of  supreme 
importance,  since  the  fulness  of  life  is  implied. 
But  if  understood,  if  the  ideal  of  motherhood  be 
supreme,  other  relationships  can  be  adjusted  to  it 
in  such  a  way  as  to  add  while  never  interfering. 
Fpr  example,  there  are  relationships  to  society 
at  large  and  near  at  hand,  and  to  the  world  of 
affairs.  If  the  mother  is  also  a  wage-earner  this 
function  is  naturally  a  means  of  support  to  the 
domestic  relationship  at  its  best,  hence  it  is  not 
permitted  to  foster  interest  in  business  as  such 
to  the  neglect  of  the  tender  emotions.  If  an  artist, 
social  leader,  or  reformer,  these  interests  will 
naturally  be  subordinate  to  but  ever  inspired  by  the 
life  of  the  home.  That  is,  the  true  woman  is  not 
first  a  reformer,  and  then  a  woman ;  she  is  first  a 
woman,  then  a  devotee  of  a  given  line  of  reform 
tending  to  give  greater  freedom  to  women  in  a 
wise  sense  while  also  securing  genuine  equality 
between  the  sexes.  Likewise  she  is  first  a  home- 
maker,  and  then  a  painter,  sculptor,  or  singer, 
never  permitting  the  household  to  lapse  into  dis- 
order under  the  pretence  that  beauty  can  be  won 
in  the  world  of  art  when  lacking  in  the  life.  If  the 
relationship  be  reversed,  she  either  becomes  a 
mere  creature  of  her  external  interests  and  occupa- 
tion, or  domestic  unhappiness  results.  Too  fre- 
quently in  our  time  these  high  standards  are 


278  Human  Efficiency 

sacrificed  and  the  wife  departs  into  new  fields  of 
interest  supposably  promising  to  make  her  free 
while  really  enslaving  her. 

For  men  the  question  is  no  less  complex  and 
serious.  One  can  hardly  make  this  statement 
without  realising  that  so  many  interests  in  the 
commercial  world,  in  club  and  professional  life, 
are  allowed  to  intrude  that  it  is  impossible  to 
single  out  large  numbers  of  men  who  are  essentially 
human.  It  is  human  no  doubt  to  err,  and  to  be 
subservient  to  any  number  of  faulty  characteristics. 
In  another  sense  of  the  word  it  is  human  to  make 
one's  business  an  end  in  itself.  But  the  term 
"human"  as  employed  in  the  present  discussion 
involves  the  preservation  of  all  that  is  manly  in 
the  higher  sense.  Numberless  enticements  enter 
a  man's  life  that  conflict  with  the  best  he  finds 
himself  capable  of  being  as  husband,  father,  friend. 
Without  undertaking  to  define  true  manliness,  or 
limiting  that  which  is  human  one  emphasises  the 
importance  of  having  a  standard  by  which  to 
estimate  every  factor  in  life.  Thus  a  man's 
evenings,  his  recreations,  vacations,  and  intel- 
lectual diversions  will  be  affected  by  his  prevailing 
love  or  purpose  in  life. 

From  another  point  of  view,  it  is  a  question  of 
being  human  in  a  sense  which  transcends  the 
distinctions  of  sex  while  never  running  counter 
to  the  ideals  of  chastity,  domestic  life,  manliness, 


A  Law  unto  Oneself  279 

the  eternal  feminine.  There  is  a  respect  in  which 
a  woman  is  more  than  a  wife  or  mother,  a  man 
more  than  a  husband  or  father.  The  truest  love 
inspires  a  new  relationship  to  the  entire  cosmos, 
gives  a  new  freedom,  and  makes  one  a  free  spirit 
in  the  best  sense.  It  is  love  above  all  that  renews 
the  individual  and  calls  forth  all  that  is  spiritually 
human.  Thereupon  many  secondary  lines  of  free- 
dom grow  out  of  the  central  relationship.  The 
free  man  not  only  remains  a  child  at  heart,  but  is 
at  liberty  to  play  as  if  still  a  child. 

He  is  not  ashamed  to  weep  with  those  who  are 
sorrowful,  nor  to  sing  with  those  who  are  for  the 
first  time  tasting  the  greater  joys  of  life.  He  lives 
his  youthful  days  over  again  in  contemplation 
of  the  vigorous  activities  around  him.  Thus  he 
retains  a  sort  of  independence  of  space  and  time. 

Again,  we  are  free  if  not  under  allegiance  to 
the  give-and-take  theory  of  social  obligation.  To 
make  a  genuine  gift  I  should  be  thinking  of  the 
one  whom  I  am  able  to  serve,  of  the  joy  of  giving 
as  a  general  principle.  One  need  not  give  on 
stated  occasions,  or  even  to  the  class  of  people 
from  whom  gifts  have  come.  If  I  give  with  the 
expectation  of  receiving,  or  the  hope  of  promoting 
my  own  welfare,  I  am  a  creature  of  mere  conven- 
tion. Real  gifts  spring  from  the  self,  and  bear  the 
stamp  of  individuality.  What  I  can  best  give  no 
one  can  duplicate.  Nor  can  a  man  rob  me  of  my 


280  Human  Efficiency 

power  or  its  issues.  If  a  man  be  aware  of  his  power 
to  give  and  the  duties  it  imposes,  he  is  little  likely 
to  have  time  to  meet  the  exactions  of  mere  ob- 
servers of  good  form. 

There  are  many  ways  of  showing  freedom  through 
speech.  One  may  choose  one's  forms  of  greeting 
and  address,  one's  own  expressions  of  gratitude 
and  affection.  Among  friends  it  is  a  pleasure  to 
depart  from  precise  modes  of  speech,  and  intro- 
duce words  from  other  languages,  make  one's 
own  word-combinations,  diminutives,  and  coinages. 
To  address  the  most  intimate  companion  of  the 
heart  with  "thee"  and  "thou"  is  to  add  new 
reverence  and  beauty  to  love's  speech.  A  delight- 
ful spirit  of  play  can  be  expressed  through  language, 
a  spirit  that  ever  seeks  new  forms  of  expression 
yet  as  steadily  clings  to  phrases  which  the  heart 
has  made  dear.  So  much  depends  upon  a  word, 
uttered  by  chance  or  with  deliberation,  that  one 
may  well  consider  how  to  preserve  the  finest, 
freest  speech,  letting  the  words  ripen  with  the 
years,  never  departing  from  a  gentle  courtesy  yet 
ready  to  break  into  untried  forms.  Mere  license 
to  say  anything  you  like  is  not  freedom,  for  true 
freedom  never  forgets  the  other  party.  The  free 
man  is  frank,  but  his  speech  aspires  towards  an 
ideal. 

Frankness  invites  frankness,  and  one  of  the  joys 
of  freedom  is  the  power  one  has  to  invite  other 


A  Law  unto  Oneself  281 

souls  into  expression.  Many  a  man  and  woman 
hungers  for  the  companionship  which  perfect 
frankness  offers,  and  the  unburdening  of  the  heart 
is  a  genuine  need  of  human  nature.  Confession, 
too,  has  its  place.  The  function  of  the  "free 
spirit"  is  to  set  others  free,  and  frankness  is  often- 
tynes  the  beginning.  He  who  can  unqualifiedly 
tell  us  precisely  what  he  thinks  is  able  to  do  us 
a  great  service.  The  right  word  has  enormous 
power,  speaks  to  the  soul,  and  makes  self-expression 
possible.  Sincerity  follows  close  upon  frankness, 
and  while  it  may  not  be  the  highest  of  the  virtues 
it  is  essential  to  complete  freedom  and  faithful 
service. 

In  business  life  this  freedom  is  expressed  in 
departure  from  mere  self-interest  and  tradition, 
by  giving  "full  measure,  running  over."  True 
freedom  enters  the  business  realm  with  disinterest- 
edness. The  moral  man  of  affairs  realises  that 
it  is  his  privilege  to  serve,  hence  he  keeps  the  wel- 
fare of  associates  and  customers  steadily  in  view, 
has  the  courage  to  permit  humane  interests  to 
stand  above  sordidness. 

In  education  he  is  a  law  unto  himself  who,  either 
as  student  or  teacher,  is  able  to  branch  out  in 
accordance  with  general  principles,  verify  or  change 
them  in  his  own  way.  So  long  as  one  is  subser- 
vient to  a  system,  one  is  never  a  devotee  of  educa- 
tion at  its  best.  The  free  devotee  understands 


282  Human  Efficiency 

the  value  of  the  standards  preserved  in  the  great 
institutions,  and  does  his  part  to  be  true  to  the 
best  that  tradition  offers  from  the  classic  past. 
Yet,  in  a  new  age  and  in  the  presence  of  fresh  per- 
sonalities, he  adapts  his  methods  and  his  thought 
to  altered  conditions,  knowing  that  he  must  show 
his  mastery  if  at  all  by  explaining  new  phenomena, 
solving  recent  problems.  He  must  rise  above  yet 
assimilate  the  spirit  of  his  own  institution,  showing 
his  loyalty  to  ideals  yet  unattained  as  surely  as  in 
behalf  of  the  best  that  now  is. 

In  friendship  there  is  a  capital  opportunity  for 
the  maintenance  of  standards  while  preserving  a 
spontaneity  that  sometimes  surpasses  all  bounds. 
No  one  is  more  dependent  at  times  than  the  friend, 
yet  this  dependence  at  its  best  is  accompanied  by 
a  freedom  that  grows  in  accordance  with  ideals 
of  individuality.  Such  relationships  may  indeed 
be  far  from  free  in  certain  stages  of  their  develop- 
ment. But  the  ideal  is  perfect  mutuality,  the  full 
self-expression  of  each,  fostered  by  the  most 
considerate  love.  Mutual  adaptation  with  this 
high  ideal  in  view  is  possible  where  there  is  under- 
standing of  the  forbearance  needed  along  the  way. 

Sometimes  friends  undertake  to  attain  this  end 
by  making  a  hobby  of  freedom,  cutting  themselves 
from  the  world,  glorying  in  their  escape  from  obli- 
gation. The  result  is  unfettered  expression  of 
every  prompting  and  sentiment  within  the  per- 


A  Law  unto  Oneself  283 

sonality.  But  to  make  freedom  an  end  in  itself 
is  to  pass  to  the  other  extreme  and  incur  new 
bondages  of  a  peculiarly  strenuous  sort.  Freedom 
is  attained  by  pursuing  a  purpose  that  is  ennobling. 
If  I  love  my  associates  I  need  not  guard  every 
action  for  fear  that  I  am  not  granting  them  liberty 
tp  be  themselves.  The  way  to  receive  freedom 
from  others  is  to  be  free  in  spirit.  It  is  more  import- 
ant to  grant  freedom  than  to  seek  it.  Really  to 
grant  it  is  no  small  accomplishment,  requiring 
a  large-minded  attitude.  If  I  steadily  grant  it  to 
my  fellows  they  in  turn  will  accord  liberty  to  me. 
Freedom  is  not  strictly  speaking  an  end  in  itself 
but  is  one  of  the  fruits  of  the  efficient  life. 

The  free  man  preserves  a  certain  independence 
not  only  of  what  people  say  but  of  what  they  are 
likely  to  think.  On  occasion  he  is  impelled  to 
break  from  tradition  and  become  a  pioneer,  well 
aware  that  his  action  will  be  condemned  and  that 
he  will  be  misjudged.  Convinced  that  his  initia- 
tive is  right,  he  is  willing  to  cast  in  his  fortunes 
with  righteousness,  and  take  whatever  consequences 
may  come.  Again,  his  courage  is  seen  in  readiness 
to  be  inconsistent,  if  need  be,  whatever  flaws  may 
be  found  in  his  statements.  For  his  loyalty  is  to 
truth,  not  to  verbal  consistency. 

The  free  man  need  not,  however,  make  radical 
departures  from  custom,  cultivate  peculiar  ways 
and  odd  habits  of  dress,  to  prove  his  independence. 


284  Human  Efficiency 

We  are  assuming  that  the  one  who  is  a  law  unto 
himself  is  a  man  of  understanding,  and  one  of  the 
first  principles  he  is  likely  to  know  is  the  law  of 
evolution.  Being  wise  he  realises  that  to  take  the 
next  step  in  improvement  is  better  than  to  go 
apart  and  be  peculiar.  The  greatest  strength  is 
shown  in  fidelity  to  high  ideals  amidst  people  who 
do  not  hold  them,  and  who  can  be  led  only  by 
persuading  them  to  take  the  next  step. 

Our  study  of  efficiency  has  shown  that  one  of  the 
hardest  lessons  in  respect  to  our  social  relation- 
ships is  to  be  willing  to  allow  our  fellows  to  live 
their  life.  Convinced  that  our  creed  in  politics, 
in  religion,  in  regard  to  life  generally,  is  the  true 
one,  we  foolishly  try  to  impose  it  upon  others. 
Again,  we  cherish  a  favourite  plan  for  educational 
or  social  reform,  and  deem  it  our  duty  to  go  forth 
on  proselyting  missions.  We  forget  Emerson's 
reminder  that  "Nature  never  rhymes  her  children," 
and  that  we  should  cease  trying  to  make  others 
like  ourselves  since  "one's  enough."  Really  to 
possess  the  spirit  of  freedom  would  be  to  recognise 
that  as  each  man  is  an  individual  the  best  service 
one  can  be  to  him  is  to  aid  him  to  express  himself. 
To  adopt  this  attitude  towards  our  fellows  some 
of  us  are  compelled  to  undergo  a  radical  change, 
to  overcome  cocksureness  and  disagreeable  self- 
assertion,  to  transmute  all  our  domineering  ten- 
dencies, overcome  our  conceits.  This  done,  the 


A  Law  unto  Oneself  285 

next  task  is  to  learn  through  faithful  observation 
the  real  characteristics  of  our  fellows,  to  discover 
whither  they  are  tending  and  how  we  may  effectively 
aid  them.  Surely,  no  man  should  expect  to  be  a 
law  unto  himself  unless  willing  to  grant  the  same 
privilege  to  others.  The  stronger  the  character, 
tl^e  more  pronounced  our  views,  the  more  difficult 
for  us  to  grant  this  privilege;  for,  highly  endowed, 
capable  of  leadership,  we  readily  assume  that  ours 
is  the  right  way.  The  implied  assumption  is  that 
we  are  uncommonly  gifted,  so  fortunate  as  to 
possess  original  insight;  others  are  privileged  to 
be  our  disciples.  But  a  true  sign  of  greatness  is 
recognition  of  others.  The  genuine  leader  knows 
that  at  best  his  life  is  an  example,  that  others  must 
develop  in  their  way  what  he  has  seen  as  a  pioneer. 
For  the  great  man  every  soul  in  the  universe  counts 
as  one,  and  is  welcomed  as  a  child  of  God.  No 
class-privileges  exist  in  the  world  of  eternal  values. 
Are  we  then  to  sacrifice  private  convictions, 
zeal  for  special  causes,  eagerness  to  convert  the 
world?  Should  we  cease  to  concentrate  upon  a 
special  interest?  Surely  not,  but  my  zeal  is  best 
shown  through  concentrated  endeavour  to  develop 
my  convictions  to  the  full,  to  live  by  them,  hence 
to  teach  by  example.  When  my  development  has 
reached  a  point  where  others  take  interest,  I  may 
well  respond  in  heartiest  fashion.  I  shall  be  most 
likely  to  aid  those  whose  thought  tends  towards 


286  Human  Efficiency 

my  own.  Granted  an  interested  audience,  or  one 
that  is  willing  to  hear,  I  may  well  make  my  doc- 
trine as  persuasive  as  possible,  putting  my  whole 
heart  into  my  utterance.  But  if  I  really  have  the 
welfare  of  my  fellows  at  heart,  I  shall  not  resort 
to  the  devices  of  the  spectacular  orator,  but  force- 
fully state  my  case  in  rational  terms,  leaving  my 
hearers  free  to  accept  or  discard.  Only  through 
appeal  to  reason  can  I  expect  to  make  normal 
converts,  for  if  personal  powers  win  people  before 
their  time  there  will  inevitably  be  a  reaction.  My 
part  as  a  public  teacher  is  to  state  universal  princi- 
ples so  clearly  that  each  may  make  application 
for  himself.  If  I  stimulate  my  listener  to  make  the 
subject  his  own,  I  thereby  aid  him  to  become  a  law 
unto  himself. 

These  are  particularly  hard  sayings  with  respect 
to  religious  matters,  for  there  are  many  in  the  world 
so  devoutly  persuaded  that  they  have  the  only 
true  creed  that  it  is  a  delicate  matter  to  insist  on 
the  standards  of  universal  reason.  Yet  one  is 
unable  to  make  an  exception.  The  chief  difficulty 
rests  in  the  fact  that  the  proselyters  and  highly 
confident  people  fail  to  realise  that  in  the  last 
analysis  their  appeal  is  to  individual  experience. 
Believing  that  they  are  humbly  sustaining  biblical 
and  ecclesiastical  authority,  it  seems  plain  that 
the  personal  equation  is  thrown  wholly  out  of 
account.  But  press  them  for  conclusive  evidences 


A  Law  unto  Oneself  287 

that  their  creed  is  the  true  one,  and  they  fall  back 
on  inner  experience,  telling  what  the  sacraments 
have  meant  to  them,  how  much  they  have  been 
comforted  by  the  prayers,  what  upliftments  they 
have  enjoyed.  Tacitly,  these  experiences  are 
brought  forward  and  put  over  against  yours  as 
th^e  real  grounds  for  faith,  hence  the  appeal  is  as 
personal  in  the  one  case  as  in  the  other.  The 
difference  is  that  the  proselyter  in  his  uncritical 
acceptance  has  not  gone  so  far  in  the  process  of 
becoming  a  law  unto  himself.  He  does  not  yet 
know  that  a  truth  becomes  such  for  you  or  for  me 
through  individual  verification,  that  without  con- 
firmatory experience  the  highest  authority  counts 
for  naught.  He  who  counsels  you  to  make  nothing 
of  your  own  will,  to  set  your  intellect  aside  and 
simply  believe,  does  not  realise  that  he  employs 
will  and  reason  to  confute  you. 

It  is  inevitable  that  each  should  accept  and  inter- 
pret religious  matters  for  himself.  The  prime  con- 
sideration is  undoubtedly  the  heavenly  order  that 
is  over  all.  But  no  one  can  expect  to  apprehend 
that  order  as  it  really  is  until  aware  of  the  per- 
sonal equation.  Like  the  prejudices  and  precon- 
ceptions that  hinder  the  progress  of  science, 
private  opinions  in  matters  of  religion  are  often 
a  great  hindrance.  But  religion  is  much  more 
personal  than  science,  and  the  positive  considera- 
tion is  the  fact  that  each  man  in  apprehending  in 


288  Human  Efficiency 

his  own  fashion  also  contributes  his  share.  Reli- 
gion if  true  is  true  for  me  and  should  aid  me  to 
understand  my  experience  and  live  my  life.  I  do  not 
grasp  the  ideas  of  God,  freedom,  and  immortality, 
until  I  reflectively  develop  them  for  myself.  Nor 
do  I  understand  the  incarnation  or  the  atonement 
until  I  see  in  what  sense  God  is  born  within  my 
soul. 

Jesus  always  put  the  burden  on  the  individual, 
counselling  him  to  go  and  do  likewise,  to  take  up 
his  cross  and  follow  in  the  pathway  of  labour  and 
service.  Thus  in  the  sphere  of  religion  the  individ- 
ual necessarily  stands  at  the  centre.  He  it  is  who 
has  erred,  behaved  himself  in  unseemly  fashion, 
unduly  self-assertive.  He  it  is  who  must  repent, 
turning  from  his  selfishness  to  a  life  of  obedience 
to  the  divine  will.  By  living  through  the  experience 
he  knows  its  reality  and  significance.  If  well 
aware  of  what  he  has  passed  through,  he  under- 
stands that  the  process  pertains  to  human  nature, 
that  he  has  made  use  of  universal  laws.  Hence 
he  knows  that  the  significance  of  revelational 
authority  is  to  bring  men  into  awareness  of  the 
powers  they  already  possess.  He  who  begins  to 
become  a  law  unto  himself  by  thus  universalising 
the  process  is  truly  able  to  aid  others. 

To  be  a  law  unto  oneself  in  religion  means  to 
discover  original  sources,  turn  directly  to  God, 
and  find  heaven.  So  many  conventions,  presup- 


A  Law  unto  Oneself  289 

positions  and  beliefs  stand  in  the  way  that  one  is 
well-nigh  disheartened  at  times.  Authority  has  so 
skilfully  entrenched  itself  that  almost  every  con- 
tingency has  been  anticipated.  Ordinarily  the 
only  hope  lies  in  the  inner  dissatisfactions  of  those 
who  can  no  longer  be  contented  with  mere  author- 
ity. When  questions  and  doubts  arise,  the  out- 
sider may  offer  a  word  of  cheer  and  promise.  The 
process  of  emergence  well  under  way,  it  seems 
strange  indeed  to  the  sometime  slave  of  authority 
that  men  and  women  can  so  long  be  kept  from  the 
truth. 

Rationally  speaking,  nothing  seems  more  natural 
in  the  world  than  the  direct  relationship  of  each 
son  of  man  to  the  heavenly  Father.  In  actuality 
that  relationship  must  ever  be  intimate  and  strong, 
or  human  beings  could  not  subsist,  but  how  many 
are  the  ways  in  which  we  deny  Him!  Possessing 
all  the  powers  needed  for  awareness  of  the  divine 
presence,  we  nevertheless  stand  aloof  until  some 
unwonted  circumstance  sets  us  partly  free.  What 
is  required  is  an  incentive  sufficiently  strong  to 
enable  us  to  gather  the  facts  of  inner  experience 
and  begin  to  search  for  their  ground.  Ordinarily 
one  makes  little  headway  in  understanding  reli- 
gion until  one  acquires  a  philosophy  of  life. 

At  this  point  one  is  reminded  of  the  question  of 
genius  versus  orthodoxy  so  often  discussed.  The 
discerning  man  is  able  and  willing  to  confess  at 
19 


290  Human  Efficiency 

once  that  genius  and  orthodoxy  are  incompatible. 
But  genius  in  the  rationalistic  sense  is  merely  a 
forerunner  of  universal  reason.  He  who  thinks 
for  himself  has  already  begun  to  part  company 
with  the  strictly  orthodox.  To  be  orthodox  is  to 
belong  to  the  childhood  of  the  world.  Orthodoxy 
is  no  doubt  a  necessary  stage  for  many,  yet  ortho- 
doxy is  no  virtue.  Really  to  be  virtuous  is  to  be 
true  to  individual  conscience,  hence  the  period  of 
the  reformation  is  inevitable.  In  so  far  as  I  possess 
talent,  in  so  far  as  I  am  an  individual,  the  rights  of 
my  genius  are  supreme,  and  I  may  well  break  free 
and  begin  creative  work.  The  movement  of  human- 
ity is  not  towards  conformity  but  towards  differ- 
entiation. Even  when  a  man  is  still  classified  as 
orthodox  it  is  necessary  to  specify  what  princi- 
ples he  stands  for.  The  further  a  man  emerges  the 
more  reason  for  stating  what  he  individually 
believes.  The  time  will  come  when  each  shall  be 
known  for  what  he  is  in  his  own  right. 

The  man  who  is  in  earnest  in  the  endeavour  to 
become  a  law  to  himself  is  never  a  time-server, 
but  already  possesses  intimations  of  immortality 
through  knowledge  of  eternal  values.  He  is  in  the 
world  but  not  of  it,  although  becoming  more 
humane  with  the  lapse  of  years.  He  is  never  a 
mere  specialist  in  any  field,  but  endeavours  to 
know  something  about  everything  while  seeking 
mastership  in  his  chosen  sphere.  Consequently 


A  Law  unto  Oneself  291 

he  varies  the  form  of  his  work,  perhaps  changes 
his  habitat  or  country.  On  principle  he  takes  a 
vacation  from  every  relationship,  even  social  and 
religious,  that  he  may  keep  fresh,  strong,  pure. 
He  not  only  visits  foreign  parts,  attends  other 
churches  and  social  gatherings,  but  listens  even 
to  the  heathen,  endeavouring  to  find  out  why  they 
ar&  condemned  as  heathen. 

Above  all,  to  be  a  law  unto  oneself  means  to  be  a 
philosopher.  This  development  is  apt  to  begin 
with  scientific  reflection  on  the  nature  of  things, 
but  may  be  as  well  understood  with  reference  to 
ethical  principles.  I  am  a  law  unto  myself  when 
I  recognise,  with  Kant,  that  as  a  moral  being  I  am 
a  law-giver,  I  impose  the  moral  law  on  myself. 
Inasmuch  as  a  moral  act  is  essentially  my  own  act, 
I  am  independent  and  free.  The  law  which  I  give 
myself  is  indeed  the  universal  law  under  which  all 
men  have  their  being,  yet  it  is  real  and  true  for  me 
by  virtue  of  my  freedom.  The  moral  law  is  over 
me,  with  its  august  supremacy,  like  that  of  the 
starry  sky,  hence  I  attribute  it  to  a  Being  who  is 
mightier  than  I.  Moreover,  when  I  do  a  moral 
deed  I  will  that  the  law  of  my  righteous  conduct 
shall  be  universally  observed.  Still  in  the  pre- 
cincts of  my  selfhood  this  great  law  is  made  known. 
When  I  do  right  it  is  by  my  own  freedom.  My  will 
to  do  right  is  wholly  good  in  itself.  I  am  not  under 
compulsion,  but  am  expressing  the  mandates  of 


292  Human  Efficiency 

my  nature.  Thus  I  am  a  law  unto  myself  in  the 
best  sense  of  the  word. 

Yet  in  stating  this  we  have  already  passed 
beyond  the  proposition  that  man  can  be  a  law 
unto  himself.  In  truth,  no  man  is  sufficient  unto 
himself.  Consequently  one  turns  from  the  bare 
forms  of  the  Kantian  ethic  to  the  kingdom  of 
social  ends  which  Hegel  and  others  have  more 
fully  developed.  Once  more  I  am  reminded  of  my 
dependence.  Virtue  becomes  fully  itself  when 
socially  realised.  Unless  I  go  forth  into  the  domain 
of  controversies,  problems,  and  social  struggles, 
I  shall  be  unable  to  keep  or  develop  my  subjective 
possessions.  Fellowship  with  others  will  soften 
the  rude  outlines  of  my  rigorous  selfhood,  relieve 
me  of  my  peculiarities,  render  me  fit  for  service. 
The  tests  of  sanity  are  social.  Subjectivity  must 
complete  itself  through  objectivity.  It  is  the 
universal  moral  self  that  is  a  law. 

The  universe  reproduces  or  mirrors  itself  in  my 
consciousness  and  there  is  a  sense  in  which  my 
apprehension  of  it  is  unique.  Unless  I  have  met 
the  dilemmas  of  self -consciousness  I  can  hardly 
be  said  to  be  free  in  a  philosophical  sense.  I  must 
somehow  have  passed  through  a  transition  similar 
in  intent  to  the  Kantian  criticisms  of  the  nature 
of  reason  in  order  to  enter  the  universal  region  of 
thought.  For  I  must  know  how  to  make  allow- 
ances for  the  equations  of  personality  as  a  whole, 


A  Law  unto  Oneself  293 

know  in  what  sense  the  understanding  "creates" 
its  world.  The  subjective  factors  well  in  hand,  I 
shall  be  in  a  position  to  consider  the  concepts  of 
human  experience  in  systematic  order  and  proceed 
with  constructive  thought  in  all  directions.  He  is 
philosophically  free  who  is  able  to  make  these 
a^owances,  who  is  undisturbed  by  the  sharp  fires 
of  criticism. 

For  in  a  profound  sense  what  is  real  in  the  cosmos 
is  real  for  all.  Despite  the  fact  that  we  know 
reality  through  the  conditions  of  interior  selfhood 
and  its  constructions,  the  fact  of  knowledge  is  not 
the  primary  consideration.  Philosophy  cannot 
complete  its  undertaking  until  it  give  back  reality 
as  it  exists  for  all  in  the  realm  of  conduct.  The 
primary  fact  is  that  the  world  exists  for  all,  that 
it  possesses  a  nature  such  that  we  all  apprehend 
essentially  the  same  cosmos,  despite  the  inter- 
vening conditions  of  human  nature  and  the  fluc- 
tuations of  the  personal  life.  The  ideal  is  a 
completely  scientific  conception  of  the  cosmos, 
conforming  as  far  as  possible  to  the  canons  of 
the  natural  sciences. 

In  one's  philosophical  growth  it  is  inevitable 
that  one  should  place  less  reliance  on  theoretical 
prepossessions,  more  on  knowledge  of  fact  and 
valid  inductions  therefrom.  This  transition  is  well 
seen  in  matters  of  religion.  We  begin  with  reliance 
on  an  authoritative  system,  and  the  factors  of 


294  Human  Efficiency 

individual  experience  seem  to  count  for  naught 
save  as  they  give  evidence  of  sin.  In  mere  man 
there  appears  to  be  little  hope ;  all  depends  on  the 
divine  grace.  In  due  course  we  realise  that  the 
divine  grace  is  a  general  principle,  hence  that 
something  depends  on  the  human  responses  and 
adjustments.  Then  it  becomes  a  question  of 
verification  of  religious  truth,  and  little  by  little 
more  emphasis  is  put  on  inner  experience.  In  due 
time  a  new  structure  is  reared  on  the  experiences 
rejected  during  the  years  of  allegiance  to  authority. 
We  then  realise  that  only  through  experience  can 
we  hope  to  find  God  or  achieve  heaven.  Thus  we 
begin  to  become  masters  of  the  situation  and  to 
relate  our  thought  to  the  thought  of  the  ages.  To 
be  independently  philosophical  is  to  be  able  to 
give  a  rational  account  of  this  process  and  its 
deliverances.  Only  those  who  give  up  the  task 
as  beyond  human  possibility  drop  back  into  the 
hands  of  authority.  They  become  free  who  grasp 
the  meaning  of  this  process  or  transition. 

Those  who  thus  attain  rational  self-conscious- 
ness naturally  ask,  What  can  I  add  to  the  world's 
thought  and  thereby  attain  full  self-expression? 
That  is  to  say,  the  ideal  of  self-realisation  emerges 
with  new  power.  Hence  I  must  know  which  one 
of  the  many  gifts  that  spring  from  the  same  Spirit 
is  mine.  For  I  am  little  likely  to  attain  fulness  of 
being  by  proceeding  at  random.  I  can  hardly 


A  Law  unto  Oneself  295 

become  master  of  my  powers  without  realising 
that  there  is  something  especially  within  my  power. 
Granted  knowledge  of  that,  there  is  nothing  that 
should  stand  in  the  way,  since  the  ideal  that  will 
most  fully  round  my  being  into  self-expression 
will  also  be  most  contributory  to  the  welfare  of 
mv  fellows. 

There  is  a  sense  in  which  God  and  I  exist  alone 
together.  Crises  come  in  life  when  the  soul, 
having  listened  to  the  best  words  of  critics  and 
friends,  must  take  the  matter  in  hand  into  the 
divine  solitudes,  assuming  full  responsibility  for 
the  decision,  implicitly  depending  on  the  Father 
for  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise  thus  sacredly 
made.  For  once  again  the  greatest  freedom  is 
found  through  fullest  dependence.  When  I  realise 
that  of  myself  I  can  do  nothing,  I  am  most  com- 
pletely a  law  unto  myself.  Into  my  being  at  such 
times  a  conviction  comes  which  I  am  willing  to 
put  over  against  everything  to  the  contrary  that 
men  may  utter.  At  such  times  there  appears  to  be 
no  separateness  between  the  Father's  will  or  pur- 
pose for  me  and  my  own  ideal.  I  will  to  do  the 
work  my  Father  has  for  me  to  do  and  in  so 
willing  I  am  free. 

The  possibility  of  being  a  complete  individual 
is  thus  explained  by  the  fact  that  my  selfhood  is 
made  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God.  There  is 
a  point  at  which  human  and  divine  coincide  or 


296  Human  Efficiency 

correspond.  What  I  can  best  do  my  Father  wishes 
me  to  do,  and  the  channel  is  open  before  me.  It 
is  His  power  that  prepares  the  way,  His  wisdom 
that  guides,  His  love  that  prompts.  My  selfhood 
is  an  organic  part  of  His  total  purpose  for  humanity 
and  harmonises  with  the  rest  so  that  what  I  do  as 
a  law  unto  myself  does  not  deprive  others  of  a 
similar  possibility.  Granted  social  knowledge  of 
this  organic  relatedness  in  the  divine  selfhood, 
and  the  brotherhood  of  man  would  be  here  in 
earnest,  the  heavenly  kingdom  would  have  come. 

The  above  principles  contain  the  answer  to 
objections  that  might  be  raised  by  theological  and 
other  critics  to  the  effect  that  in  pleading  for  in- 
dividual efficiency  we  are  overlooking  the  fact 
that  there  is  but  one  Efficiency.  It  is  understood 
as  our  first  premise  that  God  is  supreme,  the  central 
reality  and  power;  that  all  existence  manifests  His 
purposes,  shares  His  life.  But  this  understood,  it 
is  a  question  of  human  society  and  of  the  worth 
of  each  individual.  The  purpose  implicit  within 
each  man  is  God's  purpose,  the  guidances  are  from 
God,  the  incentives  divine.  But  in  each  case  there 
is  the  opportunity  for  rejection  or  response.  Hence 
in  each  case  there  is  a  sense  in  which  each  makes 
himself  what  he  is  by  meeting  the  opportunities 
which  life  affords. 

By  the  above  principles  we  also  guard  against 
the  possible  rejection  of  guidances  or  insights  that 


A  Law  unto  Oneself  297 

come  more  directly  from  the  divine  mind.  For 
although  we  have  concluded  that  all  intuitions 
are  mediated  to  us  through  the  conditions  of  our 
own  selfhood  we  do  not  by  any  means  deny  that 
God  has  direct  access  to  us.  What  we  point  out  is 
that  when  known  by  us  the  divine  life  takes  form 
aocording  to  the  conditions  of  our  development. 
Hence  there  is  every  reason  to  study  the  subject 
with  all  seriousness  that  we  may  be  able  to  make 
the  true  interpretation.  There  is  a  respect  in 
which  the  judgment  of  each  individual  is  somehow 
final  for  that  individual.  We  all  decide  to  make 
the  venture,  take  the  leading  on  faith.  The  fact 
that  we  become  individually  responsible  does  not 
exclude  us  from  being  recipients  of  the  highest 
guidances.  This  possibility  of  direct  openness  to 
the  divine  love  and  wisdom  will  become  clearer 
when  we  consider  the  two  highest  qualities  in  the 
human  mind,  love  and  the  understanding. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  NATURE  AND  SCOPE  OF  REASON 

THROUGHOUT  our  investigation  we  have 
turned  more  and  more  to  the  life  of  thought 
as  the  one  unfailing  resource.  This  tendency  began 
with  the  recognition  of  qualitative  distinctions,  as 
opposed  to  the  mere  efficiency  of  the  hand  or  of 
the  world  of  time.  On  the  physiological  side,  this 
involved  an  unpleasant  limitation  at  first,  since 
we  were  compelled  not  only  to  admit  the  differ- 
ences in  cerebral  capacity  which  divide  men  into 
first-class  and  average  workmen,  but  to  acknow- 
ledge the  dependence  of  the  mind  upon  the  brain. 
Moreover,  we  had  to  emphasise  the  fact  that  the 
majority  of  people  are  almost  incurably  creatures 
of  instinct,  passion,  habit,  and  emotion.  Never- 
theless, we  saw  that  for  everybody,  however  con- 
stituted there  are  possibilities  of  self-knowledge, 
training,  and  mental  co-ordination.  We  admitted 
the  lowliness  of  human  nature,  its  inertias  and 
bondages,  that  we  might  be  free  to  give  full  recog- 
nition to  the  powers  that  conquer.  With  the 
conclusion  that  the  centre  of  power  is  out  in  the 

298 


Nature  and  Scope  of  Reason     299 

daylight  of  consciousness,  not  concealed  below 
the  level  of  intellectuality,  our  inquiry  assumed  a 
hopeful  turn  which  it  has  not  lost.  From  that 
point  on  we  placed  increasing  emphasis  on  know- 
ledge, the  power  of  control  through  genuine  insight, 
supplemented  by  wise  regulation  of  the  energies 
t^hus  brought  into  more  intimate  command.  The 
chapter  on  work  confirmed  this  emphasis  by  show- 
ing that  all  work  in  the  best  sense  is  due  to  mastery 
of  the  brain,  hence  of  the  power  of  thought  which 
uses  the  brain  as  an  instrument. 

On  first  thought,  the  will  might  seem  to  be  inde- 
pendent of  the  intellect,  hence  in  alliance  with 
the  desires  and  emotions.  This  we  acknowledged 
was  indeed  true  originally,  and  remains  true  of 
those  who  do  not  pass  beyond  self-will.  But  the 
further  we  carried  our  study  of  the  will  the  more 
intellectual  the  will  became.  For  although  many 
of  the  acts  of  attention  by  which  the  will  is  deter- 
mined are  external,  sensuous,  or  otherwise  enslav- 
ing, the  will  is  called  forth  by  higher  objects  as 
well,  hence  by  ideas  and  therefore  in  the  end  by 
reason.  The  will  that  proves  worthy  of  survival, 
worthy  of  freedom  and  of  the  moral  life,  is  the 
rational  will.  In  other  words,  reason  is  another 
and  larger  term  for  that  mental  activity  which, 
known  earlier  as  desire,  mounts  through  the  con- 
flicts of  the  will  and  gradually  attains  strength  as 
the  basis  of  character.  Accordingly,  our  inquiry 


300  Human  Efficiency 

turned  to  the  question  of  success  through  charac- 
ter, with  the  result  that  we  placed  still  more  empha- 
sis on  intellectual  factors.  Our  analysis  of  insight 
overcame  certain  beliefs  which  might  militate 
against  full  acceptance  of  the  intellect,  since  un- 
critical faith  in  intuition  implies  a  sort  of  rivalry 
in  behalf  of  mere  feelings  and  impressions.  In- 
sight, we  saw,  is  really  the  intellect  emerging  into 
power.  Hence  while  we  did  not  deny  any  of  the 
gifts  of  intuition  we  sought  to  pass  beyond  the 
stage  of  mere  immediacy  to  that  of  real  knowledge. 
Finally,  we  saw  that  a  man  does  not  begin  to  be  a 
law  unto  himself  until  he  turns  to  the  original 
sources  of  life  and  power,  and  thinks  for  himself. 
The  power  of  reason,  in  short,  is  that  power  where- 
by man  overcomes  the  bondages  of  his  finitude  and 
rises  to  the  level  of  the  universal. 

Reason  is  man  taking  thought  concerning  the 
nature  of  things  and  behaving  as  a  son  of  God. 
While  merely  a  creature  of  desire,  he  is  bent  on 
attaining  his  own  will,  and  it  is  difficult  to  separate 
even  the  highest  desires  from  merely  personal 
motives.  The  emotions  are  personal  to  the  last 
limit,  even  when  love  is  attaining  the  level  of 
unselfishness.  The  will  is  ordinarily  the  man  in 
a  decidedly  limited  sense.  But  reason  is  universal, 
signalises  the  fact  that  man  has  become  disinteres- 
ted, that  he  understands  the  laws  of  things,  en- 
deavours to  adjust  his  conduct  with  the  moral  will 


Nature  and  Scope  of  Reason      301 

of  the  universe.  Man  as  a  moral  individual  is 
indeed  moral  reason  giving  the  law  unto  himself, 
proving  himself  worthy  of  the  will  that  is  wholly 
good. 

So  many  objections  to  the  intellectual  life  are 
raised  in  all  quarters  that  it  is  necessary  to  be  most 
explicit,  even  at  the  risk  of  stating  much  that  is 
jferfectly  obvious  when  our  attention  is  called  to  it. 
Every  now  and  then,  when  the  victory  of  reason 
seems  assured,  some  one  will  devise  a  new  form  of 
sensationalism,  herald  a  fresh  return  to  uncritical 
authority,  or  endeavour  to  show  the  futility  of  all 
human  concepts  by  falling  back  on  blind  faith,  or 
appealing  to  traditional  arguments  in  favour  of 
agnosticism.  Thus  the  way  of  reason  is  hard,  how- 
beit  every  opponent  who  takes  arms  against  it  is' 
really  preparing  the  way  for  the  greater  victory 
yet  to  be. 

In  so  far  as  these  objections  imply  the  assump- 
tion that  the  intellect  or  reason  is  a  faculty  separate 
from  the  rest  of  mental  life,  as  if  arrayed  against 
the  heart,  the  feelings,  and  intuition,  the  simple 
and  decisive  answer  is  already  clear  from  the  pre- 
ceding chapters.  There  is  one  mind  consisting 
of  various  processes  involving  differences  of  em- 
phasis. Hence  the  intellectual  processes  are  as 
dependent  as  the  instincts,  desires,  emotions,  and 
the  will  on  the  subject-matter  supplied  by  experi- 
ence. The  intellect  has  no  separate  or  private 


302  Human  Efficiency. 

access  to  reality,  hence  no  grounds  for  rival  claims. 
It  is  simply  a  later  phase  of  mentality  within  the 
same  group  of  processes.  It  comes  into  view  with 
the  power  of  reflective  choice,  of  sustained 
attention,  and  co-ordination  with  a  view  to  at- 
taining ends.  The  chief  difference  is  that  instead 
of  taking  experience  merely  as  it  comes,  judging 
by  the  appearance,  reason  analyses,  compares, 
brings  into  order,  restates  in  terms  of  law,  has  the 
power  to  arrive  at  new  results.  Hence  it  is  properly 
contrasted  with  feeling  in  so  far  as  the  mind  through 
its  power  rises  above  the  presented,  looking  before 
and  after  in  search  of  meanings.  The  latest  pro- 
cess to  appear  in  the  order  of  development,  it  is 
naturally  most  misunderstood,  most  hindered  and 
thwarted  in  its  development.  The  objections  to 
its  leadership  are  due  to  the  vicissitudes  of  the 
individual  in  his  long  evolution  into  reason, 

For  example,  it  is  sometimes  said  that  the  intel- 
lect is  cold,  abounds  in  pride  and  selfishness,  hence 
is  the  weapon  of  disagreeable  aristocrats.  The 
answer  is  that  everything  depends  on  the  man, 
his  temperament,  the  sources  of  his  experience, 
his  type  of  thought.  If  cold,  proud,  selfish,  these 
qualities  are  in  the  man,  and  will  be  expressed 
through  everything  he  does.  A  man's  intellect 
"stands  in  his  light "  only  so  far  as  his  information 
is  narrow,  his  intellect  not  broadly  cultivated. 
That  which  is  spiritual  must  indeed  be  spiritually 


Nature  and  Scope  of  Reason      303 

discerned,  the  province  of  the  intellect  being  to 
study  that  which  experience  has  revealed.  But 
this  is  true  in  all  departments  of  life.  Not  until 
you  have  the  experience  are  you  entitled  to  explain 
it.  If  you  accept  it  on  another's  authority,  that  is 
because  your  general  state  of  mind  permits  you  to 
do  so.  To  gainsay  the  intellect  you  must  employ 
the  intellect  itself,  since  every  possible  pro- 
position which  human  lips  can  utter  is  necessarily 
intellectual.  Therefore  it  is  merely  a  question  of 
the  one  who  is  most  enlightened,  of  the  one  who 
reasons  best.  Granted  a  change  of  heart,  the  intel- 
lectual life  will  then  take  its  clue  from  the  new 
enlightenment. 

It  is  true  some  men  have  apparently  discredited 
the  intellect  by  undertaking  to  disprove  various 
matters  in  advance  of  experience,  or  prove  a 
doctrine  for  which  they  have  had  merely  theoretical 
evidence.  But  few  of  us  would  make  such  an 
attempt  if  we  paused  to  consider.  We  have  been 
mistaken  too  many  times  to  venture  to  assign  the 
limits  of  possibility  before  we  have  had  experience. 
It  is  plain  that  the  only  way  in  which  we  truly 
know  is  through  experience.  Hence  the  province 
of  reason  is  to  do  its  best  with  the  results.  On  the 
other  hand,  a  man  is  wholly  justified  in  explaining 
so  far  as  he  can  whatever  new  experience  may 
come  to  him  by  reference  to  that  which  he  already 
knows  about  the  cosmos.  A  theory  developed  by 


304  Human  Efficiency 

careful  analysis  of  presented  facts  and  compared 
with  further  experiences  to  see  if  idea  and  thing 
correspond,  is  very  different  from  a  theory  inven- 
ted but  not  confirmed. 

The  tacit  assumption  in  the  latter  case  is  that 
the  intellect  is  primary  and  can  create  truth  out 
of  its  own  substance.  It  would  be  far  truer  to 
hold  that  the  will  is  primary,  for  we  constantly 
find  people  who  undertake  to  prove  what  they 
will  to  prove  because  of  loyalty  to  creeds,  institu- 
tions, leaders,  and  other  persons  whom  they  love. 
In  the  hands  of  the  majority  the  intellect  is  in 
fact  a  mere  instrument  to  establish  what  they  will 
to  establish,  what  they  accept  on  faith.  Expe- 
rience is,  however,  prior  to  both  the  understanding 
and  the  will,  and  every  one  is  dependent  both  in 
point  of  time  and  in  regard  to  the  relationship  of 
mental  processes.  The  fact  that  the  power  of 
reason  is  quickened  in  men  later  than  the  emotions 
and  the  will  is  surely  a  deeply  significant  fact. 
Some  men  there  are  whose  noblest  motive  is  to 
follow  wherever  truth  may  lead  even  though  the 
truths  of  science  conflict  with  the  desires  of  their 
will. 

A  more  serious  objection  is  raised  by  those  who 
apparently  put  a  limit  on  human  efficiency  once 
for  all  by  supporting  the  view  that  spiritual  truth 
given  through  revelation  is  radically  different 
from  "merely  natural  truth"  arrived  at  by  means 


Nature  and  Scope  of  Reason      305 

of  "merely  human  reason. "  It  is  characteristic  of 
upholders  of  this  view  to  collect  a  few  instances 
of  imperfection  in  human  theory,  such  as  the 
difficulties  that  beset  Spencer  and  Huxley,  then 
argue  that  these  failures  show  the  incompetency 
of  human  reason.  These  partisans  never  mention, 
if  f  acquainted  with,  the  greatest  reasoners  and 
system-makers  of  the  world.  To  refer  to  the 
great  systems  would  be  in  fact  to  spoil  the  contrast 
between  these  "weak  attempts"  and  the  "flawless 
structure"  of  divine  revelation.  It  is  tacitly 
admitted,  however,  that  even  revealed  truth  be- 
comes true  for  man  only  so  far  as  he  employs  his 
reason.  Not  even  the  most  zealous  partisan  can 
deny  this,  because  it  is  well  known  that  believers 
in  revelation  do  not  agree,  that  texts  and  inter- 
pretations differ.  When  authorities  differ,  the 
only  standard  is  reason.  There  must  then  be  a 
criterion  which  like  a  mathematical  statement  is 
demonstrable  apart  from  any  particular  mind  or 
group  of  minds.  But  this  is  reason  itself,  a  power 
which  every  human  being  can  attain. 

The  so-called  "unaided  reason  of  man"  is  a 
myth.  No  one  of  us  can  know  the  simplest  truth 
or  reality  apart  from  the  relationship  with  our 
fellows  which  shows  what  is  common,  capable  of 
withstanding  tests.  Reality  is  social,  exists  for  men 
in  a  mutual  world.  Truth  becomes  ours  in  so  far 
as  we  eliminate  the  preconceptions  and  emotions 


306  Human  Efficiency 

that  prevent  us  from  apprehending  it.  Explain 
how  the  least  enlightened  of  the  philosophers 
comes  into  possession  of  his  central  idea  and  you 
will  be  able  to  explain  the  most  inspired  passage 
in  scripture.  For  all  truth  comes  by  "revelation, " 
if  you  please.  There  are  not  two  kinds  of  knowl- 
edge, as  if  man's  mind  were  to  function  imperfectly 
most  of  the  time,  then  on  occasion  become  a 
perfect  means  of  expressing  infallible  truth.  All 
reason  is  one.  But  there  are  degrees  of  enlighten- 
ment. Hence  even  revelation  partakes  of  the 
conditions  through  which  it  is  given. 

The  same  is  true  of  every  one  who  falters  in 
doubts  and  questionings  between  agnosticism  and 
blind  faith.  To  stop  questioning  seems  to  be 
the  only  course,  hence  every  effort  is  made  to 
quell  the  intellect.  But  the  reasons  for  this  situa- 
tion will  be  found  in  the  life  of  the  individual  who 
is  in  process  of  transition.  If  "a  little  learning 
is  a  dangerous  thing,"  so  is  a  little  analysis,  a 
little  reasoning.  The  resource  is,  first,  more 
information  and  experience,  then  thorough  reason- 
ing. He  who  really  sounds  his  mind  finds  the 
difficulties  in  his  own  nature.  For  example,  they 
may  be  due  to  a  cantankerous  or  rebellious  spirit, 
a  heart  that  has  never  been  touched,  an  obstinacy 
that  has  excluded  knowledge  and  experience. 
On  the  other  hand,  a  constructive  clue  or  insight 
transforms  the  universe.  It  is  not  fair  to  judge 


Nature  and  Scope  of  Reason      307 

the  intellect  by  its  doubts  and  criticisms  alone. 
Not  until  we  pass  beyond  these  do  we  understand 
them.  The  courage  of  the  true  man  is  seen  in  his 
willingness  to  encounter  any  objection  for  the 
sake  of  the  truth. 

Another  objection  to  the  intellect  turns  on  the 
assumption  that  reason  is  purely  formal,  hence  that 
iAtellectual  people  discard  all  statements  that 
cannot  be  reduced  to  the  correct  processes  of  the 
syllogism.  The  ideal  of  reason  is  indeed  to  state 
all  matters  in  demonstrably  perfect  form,  and  the 
effort  to  attain  the  completeness  of  statement 
of  mathematics  is  always  an  incentive.  Yet  truth 
is  larger  than  merely  formal  processes,  hence 
the  effort  of  the  scholar  is  to  state  all  matters  in 
terms  such  that  any  man  may  verify,  compare, 
or  define,  as  the  case  may  be,  with  the  same 
results.  Reason  aims  to  be  dispassionate,  free 
alike  from  the  "will  to  believe"  and  all  other 
personal  considerations.  What  cannot  be  stated 
in  precise  terms  must  be  suggested  in  poetic, 
religious,  or  other  terms.  For  reason  must  in  any 
event  be  true  to  life,  even  though  it  be  compelled 
to  admit  an  element  of  irrationality.  Until  the 
latest  conclusion  has  been  reached  by  the  last 
possible  philosopher  in  the  dying  moment  of  the 
universe  itself,  it  will  be  untimely  to  declare  that 
reason  has  failed. 

To  reason  is  not  merely  to  start  with  a  formally 


308  Human  Efficiency 

correct  statement  or  premise,  then  proceed  by 
means  of  a  minor  premise  to  a  conclusion.  To 
discover  formal  defects  in  an  argument  is  not 
necessarily  to  confute  it.  Hence  it  means  very 
little  to  point  out  that  there  are  more  considera- 
tions to  be  taken  into  account  than  a  given  philo- 
sopher has  included  in  his  argument.  Formal 
processes  are  an  aid,  but  they  do  not  carry  us  to 
the  end.  Few  devotees  of  philosophy  would  think 
of  reducing  their  systems  to  mathematically 
exact  formulas. 

Reason  is  the  human  mind  active  at  its  best, 
drawing  upon  and  sanely  using  all  sources  of 
information,  preserving  good  sense,  guided  by 
insight.  Reason  takes  acccount  of  and  reacts 
upon  everything  that  enters  into  human  life.  Its 
clues  are  not  taken  from  its  own  nature  alone, 
but  rather  from  the  types  and  laws  of  reality  which 
experience  reveals.  Its  dependence  on  its  own 
nature  is  with  the  conviction  that  reason  in  man 
corresponds  to  reason  in  the  cosmos,  in  the  moral 
law,  in  the  divine  mind.  Every  one  must  make  at 
least  this  assumption  in  order  to  proceed  at  all. 
We  all  with  good  reason  maintain  that  what  we 
have  to  deal  with  is  one  system,  one  universal 
order  existing  for  all,  cognisable  by  all.  This 
world-system  is  in  no  way  dependent  upon  your 
reason  or  mine.  We  hope  to  elevate  our  thought 
to  the  level  of  universal  reason  that  we  may  know 


Nature  and  Scope  of  Reason     309 

the  world  as  a  systematic  whole,  not  merely  in 
fragmentary  fashion.  It  involves  only  a  minor 
assumption  on  our  part,  this  belief  that  reason  can 
apprehend  the  nature  of  things  and  interpret 
reality.  For  we  did  not  give  ourselves  the  power 
of  reason.  If  made  in  "the  image  and  likeness  of 
pod, "  it  is  at  least  natural  to  believe  that  we  are 
endowed  with  rationality  that  is  grounded  in  the 
divine  reason  itself. 

The  constructive  reason  in  man  is  the  highest 
activity  of  mental  life.  It  is  native  to  man  in  his 
best  estate  to  endeavour  to  give  a  rationalised 
account  of  the  reality  of  the  cosmos.  The  basis 
of  this  endeavour  is  found  in  the  fact  that  in  man's 
self-consciousness  the  universe  is  represented, 
reproduced.  Reflective  man  undertakes  to  re- 
state the  given  wealth  of  experience  in  terms  of 
law,  order,  system,  beauty.  This  reflective  reaction 
naturally  begins  with  the  visible  order  of  things  in 
the  world  of  space  and  time.  It  is  as  natural  that 
man  should  be  eager  in  the  course  of  time  to 
interpret  the  highest  presentations  of  his  inner 
consciousness. 

Otherwise  stated,to  reason  about  life  is  to  employ 
a  method,  and  the  scientific  method  is  by  no  means 
an  invention  of  man.  When  dealing  with  a  given 
field  of  interest  it  is  natural  to  ask  first  of  all, 
What  are  the  facts,  the  actual  experiences  suppos- 
ably  open  to  all  men  under  normal  conditions? 


310  Human  Efficiency 

The  facts  ascertained,  it  is  no  less  natural  to  ask, 
What  do  they  imply?  What  are  the  laws,  tenden- 
cies, stages  of  change  or  growth  ?  What  are  the  goals 
or  ultimate  results?  The  third  group  of  questions 
pertain  to  the  principle  of  explanation,  the  hypo- 
thesis or  theory  called  for  to  account  for  the  facts. 
The  cautious  reasoner  endeavours  to  let  his  explana- 
tion grow  out  of  the  facts,  as  one  might  infer  in  a 
charred  forest  that  there  has  been  a  fire.  To  explain 
the  facts  in  question,  such  as  the  markings  on  a 
ledge  that  indicate  the  ancient  existence  of  an 
ice-age,  is  to  state  the  causes  that  led  to  it.  To 
interpret  an  experience,  such  as  a  moral  deed, 
would  be  to  show  why  it  happened.  The  special 
sciences  grow  up  around  particular  groups  of 
facts,  and  involve  the  principles  required  by  the 
occurrences  within  the  given  fields.  Philosophy 
grows  up  in  the  same  way,  that  is,  as  the  largest 
undertaking  of  precisely  the  same  sort — the  en- 
deavour to  deal  constructively  with  the  facts  and 
values  of  all  the  special  sciences.  The  philosopher 
does  not  spin  a  system  out  of  his  head.  His 
thought  is  not  different  from  the  thought  of  com- 
mon-sense, save  that  it  undertakes  to  over- 
come all  misconceptions  whatsoever  and  carry 
the  process  of  good-sense  as  far  as  it  can  possi- 
bly be  carried. 

Thinkers  note  special  stages  in  this  develop- 
ment of  a  method  of  thought,  and  after  a  time  the 


Nature  and  Scope  of  Reason     311 

stages  of  growth  receive  names.  Thus  the  crea- 
tion of  a  special  science  of  reasoning  by  Aristotle 
was  subsequent  to  the  capital  use  of  rational 
definition  and  method  by  Socrates  and  Plato. 
Socrates,  the  great  pioneer  of  precise  thinking, 
employed  what  appeared  to  be  a  roundabout 
method  of  reasoning,  by  confuting  a  man  if  possible, 
because  he  found  that  through  the  persistent 
employment  of  alternatives  he  could  arrive  at  the 
greater  truth.  Consequently,  Socrates  withheld 
assent  so  long  as  he  could  prove  a  man's  ignorance. 
The  given  theory  as  expounded  by  its  advocate 
stood  for  one  stage  of  thought,  the  Socratic  criti- 
cism in  quest  of  fundamental  definitions  marked 
a  second  stage.  The  third  came  into  view  when 
Plato  and  Aristotle  discerned  the  idea  or  inter- 
pretative form  which  included  the  truth  of  the  two 
preceding  stages  of  thought.  To  see  that  all 
thinking  naturally  conforms  to  these  stages  is  to 
have  a  dialectic  method.  He  who  has  this 
insight  will  scarcely  be  content  with  any  view  of 
human  life  as  first  stated,  but  will  insist  that  it 
be  put  through  the  dialectic  of  criticism.  This 
need  not  be  to  mar  any  truth,  however  high  its 
origin,  or  dispute  the  reality  of  any  experience, 
however  sacred.  The  dialectic  process  is  meant  to 
bring  out  the  fuller  reality  and  meaning.  It  differs 
from  usual  processes  of  thought  precisely  because 
it  is  critical  and  follows  a  method.  To  understand 


Human  Efficiency 

the  method  is  to  see  that  no  one  could  be  satis- 
fied with  anything  less. 

The  same  sort  of  results  reward  our  investiga- 
tions when  we  inquire  into  the  nature  of  proof. 
To  be  intellectual  is  supposably  to  demand  proof 
which  no  one  can  give,  and  that  is  one  reason  why 
intellectual  people  are  disparaged.  But  the  true 
scholar  is  one  who  knows  when  proof  may  reason- 
ably be  expected.  The  attempt  to  prove  the 
existence  of  God  or  the  immortality  of  the  soul 
may,  for  example,  be  given  up  as  absurd.  If  God 
be  the  primary  being  without  whom  there  could 
be  no  rational  process  at  all,  His  existence  is  al- 
ready implied  in  our  first  statement  concerning 
Him.  The  most  important  considerations  with 
which  human  thought  deals  are  beyond  proof, 
that  is,  they  are  immediate,  whereas  reason 
mediates,  makes  explicit  the  given.1  I  cannot 
prove  that  I  exist  or  that  you  exist,  but  I  can  think 
about  my  experience  and  about  yours  in  such  a 
way  as  to  imply  our  existence  as  selves.  It  would 
be  futile  for  me  to  attempt  to  prove  to  you  every 
statement  I  make.  If  I  set  forth  principles  which 
accord  with  your  thought  and  apply  in  an  explana- 
tory way  to  your  experience,  you  accept  them 
precisely  because  they  apply  and  are  true  in  their 
own  right,  like  the  statement,  two  and  two  are  four. 

1 1  have  analysed  these  matters  at  length  in  The  Philosophy 
of  the  Spirit,  chap.  xi. 


Nature  and  Scope  of  Reason     313 

If  you  pass  judgment  upon  an  experience, 
singling  out  its  elements  and  arriving  at  a  con- 
clusion, you  inevitably  make  such  inferences  on 
the  basis  of  your  own  intelligence.  This  is  true 
even  if  you  utter  judgments  in  the  name  of  author- 
ity, tacitly  assuming  that  your  own  wit  has  had 
nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  case.  Strictly 
speaking,  there  is  no  proof  of  any  proposition 
whatsoever  except  that  made  by  the  individual  for 
himself,  no  verification  other  than  that  which  you 
or  I  may  make.  Hence  there  is  always  a  sense  in 
which  any  idea  you  may  hold  is  always  your  own 
idea  even  in  case  of  the  idea  of  God.  You  may 
hold  that  your  idea  corresponds  with  reality,  but 
you  make  this  assumption  on  your  own  authority. 
When  your  consciousness  changes  your  idea  may 
change,  and  you  may  have  many  gods  in  a  life- 
time. Your  idea  of  God,  Life,  or  the  Absolute,  is 
your  own  idea  of  the  working  principle  of  thought 
in  accordance  with  which  you  try  to  interpret 
your  experience  in  and  of  the  world.  It  is  native 
to  the  human  mind  thus  to  try  to  give  an  ultimate 
account  of  its  own  operations.  The  significance 
of  the  critical  philosophy  is  that  it  centres  interest 
so  decidedly  upon  the  human  equation  that  no  one 
who  thinks  consecutively  can  overlook  it. 

If  you  hold  that  a  primary  reality  exists  corre- 
sponding to  this  your  idea,  assumed  to  be  sec- 
ondary, you  make  this  assumption  as  an  act  of 


314  Human  Efficiency 

faith,  because  your  experience  appears  to  be  better 
accounted  for  in  that  way.  Whatever  experiences 
and  insights  you  may  appeal  to  by  way  of  substan- 
tiation of  your  faith,  your  appeal  is  always  for 
reasons,  and  it  is  the  philosopher's  province  to 
render  these  explicit.  You  may  shrink  from 
acknowledging  these  reasons,  alleging  that  your 
faith  far  surpasses  reason,  but  you  will  always 
do  this  with  lame  reasoning  in  face  of  the  opportu- 
nity to  stand  erect  and  indulge  in  maturity  of 
thought.  Your  only  resource,  when  you  dislike 
the  philosopher's  statement,  is  to  reason  more 
adequately  than  he. 

Those  of  us  who  meet  life  reflectively  are  steadily 
making  observations  and  constructive  judgments, 
and  thus  we  are  gradually  rearing  a  theory  of  the 
world.  This  need  not  imply  originality,  for  we  pass 
through  the  same  process  in  the  study  of  the  great 
systems  of  thought.  Every  now  and  then  we  see 
these  systems  in  a  new  way  and  thus  we  advance 
a  stage  in  our  insight.  No  one  can  expect  to 
understand  a  system  who  does  not  as  it  were  live 
with  it  as  one  might  dwell  with  friends  under  the 
same  roof  through  varying  conditions.  But  the 
point  is  that  we  mediate,  react  upon  everything  we 
touch.  Since  this  is  true,  why  should  we  not 
begin  on  as  sound  a  basis  as  possible,  making  sure 
of  our  facts  and  drawing  valid  inferences?  For 
many  of  us  this  would  mean  beginning  with  the 


Nature  and  Scope  of  Reason      315 

first  step  in  the  use  of  the  scientific  method,  that  is 
the  discovery  of  the  actually  presented  facts  of 
experience,  since  it  is  highly  important  to  know  the 
difference  between  facts  and  the  rival  theories 
which  purport  to  account  for  them. 

In  this  plea  for  the  scientific  method  one  does 
^ot  mean  that  intellectual  enlightenment  is  the 
same  as  being  ' '  liberal. ' '  The  liberal  is  apt  to  take 
pride  in  the  fact  that  he  has  outgrown  numberless 
beliefs  still  held  by  the  uninformed.  Thus  he 
becomes  dogmatic  in  regard  to  the  higher  criticism 
of  the  scriptures,  he  assumes  the  finality  of  the 
Kantian  criticism,  or  laughs  at  one  who  has  not 
yet  accepted  the  Darwinian  hypothesis.  In  con- 
trast with  this  cocksureness,  the  enlightened 
person  is  ever  cautious  when  making  general 
statements,  well  aware  that  the  results  are  not  all 
at  hand  as  yet.  He  is  eager  to  penetrate  farther 
back  to  the  sources  of  human  experience  and 
knowledge,  to  enter  deeply  enough  into  the  experi- 
ences of  men  to  make  sure  that  he  appreciates  what 
is  best,  never  placing  too  much  stress  on  the  crudi- 
ties of  human  belief.  He  is  therefore  more  than 
merely  liberal;  he  is  tolerant,  charitable,  philo- 
sophical ;  he  accepts  the  entire  cosmos,  with  every- 
body and  everything  in  it,  intent  on  knowing  the 
total  system  of  things,  excluding  nothing.  He 
may  have  as  much  critical  information  as  the  mere 
liberal,  but  he  must  outdo  him  in  genuine  liberality. 


316  Human  Efficiency 

The  dogmatism  of  the  mere  liberal  is  often  worse 
than  that  of  the  intellectually  innocent. 

To  be  broad-minded  in  the  popular  sense  of  the 
term  is  not  necessarily  to  be  wise.  Some  people 
on  principle  maintain  a  kind  of  open-mindedness 
which  they  call  being  "universal."  They  are 
ready  to  hear  all  types  of  thought  expounded,  they 
have  interests  without  limit.  Admirably  free  in 
most  respects,  they  are  undeveloped  in  others. 
That  is,  their  broad-mindedness  pertains  to  the 
objects  of  the  senses,  the  instincts  and  emotions. 
But  this  is  not  universality  as  nature  teaches  it. 
Nature  is  not  merely  elemental,  does  not  merely 
produce;  nature  mounts  from  level  to  level,  in 
order  and  degree ;  nature  culminates,  attains  ends. 
To  be  universal  is  to  discriminate,  ascertain  values, 
stating  the  facts  in  question  in  terms  of  law. 
Hence  the  universal  in  the  end  implies  a  system 
which  organises,  makes  whole.  Moreover,  a 
universal  throws  out  some  considerations  as  of 
little  import  or  of  the  nature  of  over-production. 
Hence  the  merely  elemental  is  only  an  introductory 
stage,  like  the  play  of  the  child,  or  any  expressive- 
ness that  does  not  yet  involve  meanings. 

Hence  in  the  study  of  the  great  faiths  of  the  world 
he  is  equipped  who  is  able  to  discern  what  is 
significant,  essential.  Merely  to  listen  to  repre- 
sentatives of  various  faiths  in  a  sympathetic 
spirit  counts  for  little.  That  which  the  uncritical 


Nature  and  Scope  of  Reason     317 

listener  applauds  may  well  be  that  which  is  of 
least  moment  because  most  peculiar.  The  re- 
flective listener  seeks  to  penetrate  beneath  the 
surfaces  that  he  may  grasp  the  first  principles 
underlying  the  given  doctrine.  His  part  is  to 
reconstruct  in  imagination  the  thought  which 
le^ads  up  to  the  doctrine  as  now  expounded,  that 
he  may  know  its  type,  see  what  attitude  it  implies 
and  what  contribution  it  makes  to  universal 
thought. 

The  enlightened  man  puts  things  in  the  right 
order.  He  well  knows  that  there  is  an  attitude 
which  impedes  the  way,  insisting  that  every  utter- 
ance shall  conform  to  his  standard.  Hence  he 
gives  abundant  recognition  to  the  fact  that  the 
spirit  in  man  is  the  leader.  He  knows  that  experi- 
ence comes  first,  then  thought,  and  that  no  one  is 
wise  enough  to  map  the  spiritual  cosmos  in  advance. 
He  knows,  too,  that  the  element  of  appreciation, 
sentiment,  empirical  response,  will  always  exceed 
that  of  reflective  description,  which  follows  halt- 
ingly behind.  But  all  this  once  understood,  the 
more  intellectual  he  can  become  the  better. 
Simply  to  say  and  to  maintain  that  spiritual 
quickening  is  of  the  heart,  not  of  the  head,  is  to 
adopt  an  intellectual  standard,  for  a  criterion  is 
necessarily  intellectual.  The  crucial  point  is  not 
then  with  reference  to  the  nature  of  the  intellect, 
for  we  all  employ  that  in  any  event.  The  question 


318  Human  Efficiency 

is  whether  we  always  permit  the  Spirit  to  take  the 
lead,  whether  we  distinguish  between  the  finite 
spirit  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  taking  care  lest  we  in- 
trude the  human  will  and  thought,  the  merely  per- 
sonal preference  or  emotion. 

We  have  succeeded  in  this  discussion  if  we  have 
put  the  emphasis  where  it  belongs  at  last.  De- 
cidedly finite,  personal  influences,  such  as  emotions, 
preferences,  dislikes,  impede  the  life  of  the  heart 
as  surely  as  pride,  conceit,  and  coldness  impede  the 
intellect.  Indeed  there  are  more  allowances  to 
be  made  for  the  heart  than  in  regard  to  the  head, 
for  reason  is  by  nature  universal,  while  the  heart 
is  personal.  It  is  primarily  a  question  of  the  man, 
the  woman,  the  type  of  life  or  experience.  Some 
need  to  be  broadened  intellectually,  while  others 
need  to  be  touched  in  their  hearts.  We  need  not 
be  disconcerted  by  the  personal  equation  if  we 
understand  it. 

But  it  is  also  in  part  a  question  of  the  prevailing 
point  of  view.  We  have  noted  in  an  earlier  chap- 
ter, for  example,  the  artificial  point  of  view  which 
prevails  in  certain  works  on  psychology.1  For 
writers  whose  point  of  view  is  "structural"  the 
human  mind  is  regarded,  not  as  experienced,  but  as 
scientifically  reducible  to  sensational  elements. 
Everything  of  a  purposive  nature  is  rigidly  ruled 
out.  In  other  words,  the  interest  is  to  develop  a 

1  See  Chap.  III. 


Nature  and  Scope  of  Reason     319 

complete  science,  one  that  is  aesthetically  a  whole. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  empiricist  writer,  Professor 
James,  whose  lead  we  have  followed,  describes  the 
mind  as  you  and  I  experience  it  and  undertakes  to 
be  true  to  life.  In  each  case  the  results  depend  on 
the  starting-point,  and  we  have  two  decidedly 
different  types  of  psychological  theory.  Artificial 
theorists  are  found  in  all  fields  where  human 
knowledge  has  attained  scientific  precision,  and 
allowances  must  always  be  made  for  them.  This 
is  no  reason,  however,  for  discrediting  human 
powers.  The  ideal  reasoner  is  the  one  who  allows 
life  to  take  the  lead,  who  does  not  decide  in  advance 
or  arbitrarily  what  shall  constitute  his  science. 
Still  another  negative  tendency  is  traceable  in 
modern  times  to  Kant  with  his  a  priori  analyses 
of  pure  reason.  But,  again,  we  need  not  be  dis- 
concerted by  a  technical  interest,  judged  by  those 
who  are  far  from  being  close  students  of  Kant. 
Hegel,  Kant's  most  systematic  follower,  has  been 
charged  with  the  attempt  to  deduce  the  entire 
cosmos  by  a  priori  reasoning,  as  if  "pure  thought" 
were  all  that  is  required  for  a  starting-point.  But 
those  who  herald  this  opinion  abroad  neglect  the 
fact  that  Hegel  arrives  at  his  dialectic  method  by 
an  analysis  of  consciousness  as  directly  presented, 
and  aims  throughout  his  system  to  develop  a  series 
of  concepts  which  shall  be  as  true  to  life  as  this 
the  starting-point.  In  the  Supplementary  Essay 


320  Human  Efficiency 

appended  to  The  Philosophy  of  the  Spirit  I  have 
made  a  technical  study  of  this  subject  and  given 
all  the  evidence  required  to  vindicate  Hegel  as  one 
of  the  most  concrete  of  all  philosophers. 

Nor  need  the  devotee  of  reason  be  disconcerted 
when  a  clear-thinking  writer  like  Bergson  attacks 
the  position  of  the  rationalist. x  For  what  Bergson 
offers  is  a  rival  series  of  concepts  intended  to  be 
more  faithful  to  life  than  those  of  the  artificial 
theorisers.  This  is  really  a  vindication  of  human 
reason.  It  once  more  shows  conclusively  the  pro- 
found import  of  the  law  which  we  have  been  study- 
ing throughout  this  book,  the  law  of  interest  or 
attention.  Everything  depends  in  the  first  place 
on  one's  quickening,  the  experiences  in  question, 
the  facts  brought  into  view.  Whatever  interests 
us  the  mind  works  upon,  forthwith  producing 
results  according  to  the  interest.  Reason  takes  its 
clue  from  the  subject-matter  presented.  That  the 
temperament  of  the  thinker  is  a  factor  goes  with- 
out saying.  What  is  needed  is  thinkers  of  a  more 
and  more  dispassionate  type,  then  comparisons 
between  their  results,  references  back  to  life,  thus 
on  and  on  until  we  shall  arrive  at  universal  truth. 

We  return,  then,  to  the  profound  truth  that 
there  is  but  one  mind  with  various  processes,  one 
of  which  is  reason,  a  process  through  which  if  we 

1  See  especially  his  Creative  Evolution,  Eng.  trans.,  Henry  Holt 
and  Co.,  New  York,  1911. 


Nature  and  Scope  of  Reason      321 

are  critical  and  diligent  we  may  arrive  at  truth 
and  reality.  Reason  in  brief,  then ,  is  that  power 
in  man  by  which  he  singles  out  facts,  analyses  and 
classifies  them,  then  proceeds  to  develop  their 
implications  in  terms  of  laws,  universals,  ideals 
and  values  by  systematic  interpretation.  The 
fac,ts  and  laws  are  not  the  inventions  of  man, 
hence  no  one  need  fear  that  he  may  be  deprived 
of  anything  of  value.  The  implications  are  found 
in  the  nature  of  things,  like  the  law  of  gravita- 
tion discovered  by  Newton.  Man  formulates  the 
implied  principle  or  law,  then  proceeds  to  show 
how  the  force  in  question  works,  stating  the  law 
in  exact  terms  applicable  the  world  over  under 
the  same  conditions.  It  is  the  nature  of  things 
that  is  rational,  not  any  scheme  of  man.  Man  in 
his  enlightenment  follows  the  order  of  nature.  He 
is  able  to  do  this  because  he  has  the  same  nature 
in  himself. 

The  truth  about  the  cosmos  is  immanent  in  the 
cosmos  itself,  and  what  philosophy  undertakes  to  do 
is  to  make  this  truth  explicit.  All  truth  is  ultimate- 
ly one,  that  is,  it  pertains  to  the  nature  or  system 
of  things.  The  truth  about  religion,  including  the 
truths  contained  in  sacred  books,  is  a  part  of  that 
truth;  and  the  data  are  supplied  by  the  books, 
prophets,  dogmas,  creeds,  that  is,  by  the  given 
experiences  and  beliefs  of  men.  The  philosophical 
student  of  these  subjects  does  not  invent  his  philo- 


322  Human  Efficiency 

sophy,  although  he  may  suggest  hypotheses  regard- 
ing matters  not  yet  understood.  He  is  limited  by 
the  given  subject-matter  and  by  the  reasoning 
powers  of  his  own  mind.  His  aim  is  to  state  the 
elements,  laws,  and  values  of  religions  in  such  a  way 
that  any  man  with  an  equal  degree  of  enlighten- 
ment could  arrive  at  the  same  conclusions.  The 
most  enlightened  statements  in  this  connection 
would  doubtless  be  those  which  would  explain 
even  revelation,  inspiration,  prophecy,  incarnation, 
in  universal  terms.  This  would  not  be  audacious 
on  man's  part,  since  the  subject-matter  is  already 
given,  and  since  these  principles  and  experiences 
can  be  described,  explained,  and  interpreted  from 
the  human  side.  A  sacred  writing  contains  its 
own  rationality  and  is  proved  by  its  workability 
or  fruits.  Inspiration  is  really  such  if  it  make 
known  truths  which  can  be  co-ordinated  with 
other  known  truths.  A  prophet  is  worth  while 
who  really  stirs  men  to  good  works.  The  incar- 
nation proves  itself  many  times  over  by  the  results 
to  which  it  leads.  The  same  Mind  that  reveals, 
inspires,  quickens  a  man  into  prophecy,  incarnates 
itself,  declaring  the  same  truth  which  the  entire 
cosmos  reveals.  Hence  to  get  our  clue  in  all  these 
matters  we  only  need  think  back  to  the  great 
Source  whence  cometh  all  wisdom,  in  whose  rea- 
son man's  own  reason  is  grounded. 

The   efficiency   of  human   reason   is  therefore 


Nature  and  Scope  of  Reason     323 

dependent  on  the  prevailing  ideas  of  each  man. 
If  a  man's  attitude  imply  pessimism,  rebellion,  he 
will  employ  his  intellect  to  sustain  his  attitude, 
and  will  find  abundant  evidence  to  prove  his  point. 
It  is  nearly  always  easier  to  argue  against  a  thing 
than  to  plead  for  it.  But  the  efficient  will  is  the 
jife  of  true  reason.  Emerson  was  nearly  right 
when  he  declared  that  "the  hardest  task  in  the 
world  is  to  think."  Reason  and  effort  ascend 
together.  Reason  is  in  fact  the  supreme  effort  or 
reaction  of  man  in  the  presence  of  his  environment. 
The  intellectual  life  seems  a  paltry  thing,  the  play 
of  the  idle,  productive  of  little  save  paradoxes  and 
doubts,  if  we  persist  in  emphasising  the  negativi- 
ties of  life.  Or,  if  in  some  measure  enlightened, 
we  put  forth  valiant  effort,  it  leads  us  on  and  on 
until  we  appear  to  be  participating  in  the  very 
work  of  creation  itself.  Reason  was  given  us  that 
we  might  become  more  efficient,  and  if  we  do  not 
make  the  effort  we  have  no  ground  for  complaint. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  LAW  OF  LOVE 

IT  is  commonly  agreed  that  in  love  to  God  and 
love  to  man  the  highest  law  of  human  existence 
is  fulfilled.  This  complete  love  is  not  merely 
accepted  as  the  summary  of  all  that  is  noblest  in 
the  righteous  life  because  the  New  Testament 
assures  us  that  it  is  "the  law  and  the  prophets," 
but  because  human  experience  and  thought  con- 
firm it.  The  love  for  God  that  is  manifested  by  the 
hermit,  the  isolated  seer  or  saint,  is  never  love  in 
its  wholeness  or  sanity.  On  the  other  hand,  those 
who  try  to  make  the  brotherhood  of  man  take 
the  entire  place  of  love  for  God  are  no  less  one- 
sided. It  is  no  longer  necessary  to  support  these 
points  in  this  social  age,  with  its  belief  in  the  divine 
immanence.  We  need  rather  to  consider  how  this 
two-fold  ideal  shall  be  realised  under  the  changed 
conditions  of  our  day.  One  can  scarcely  hope  to 
add  a  new  idea  to  the  rich  literature  of  love.  But 
it  is  always  possible  to  afford  new  clues  by  restat- 
ing the  ideal  in  the  light  of  present  tendencies 
of  thought  and  life. 

324 


The  Law  of  Love  325 

No  one  can  claim  that  we  are  left  in  doubt  in 
regard  to  the  nature  of  this  great  love  for  the  One 
and  the  many.  The  New  Testament  is  above  all 
a  book  about  the  transcendent  affections  of  the 
heavenly  life.  The  best  thought  of  the  author  of 
the  Epistles  of  St.  John  is  put  into  his  characteris- 
a^tion  of  love,  and  St.  Paul's  writings  culminate 
in  a  classic  summary  of  the  greatest  of  all  Christian 
powers.  The  life  of  the  Master  portrays  the  ideal 
of  love  for  the  Father  and  for  humanity  through 
complete  fidelity  to  the  tasks  that  lie  at  hand. 
He  who  would  know  the  supreme  pathway  of  love 
cannot  p!ead  ignorance,  or  claim  that  the  example 
stops  short  of  full  fruition.  Moreover,  in  great 
hymns  the  ideal  which  at  times  seems  beyond  hu- 
man attainment  is  mediated  to  us  in  illuminating 
forms.  The  poets  have  dedicated  their  best  works 
to  love,  divine  and  human,  revealing  all  phases  of 
the  heart's  affection,  while  love  has  ever  been  the 
central  theme  of  the  novelists  and  dramatists,  some- 
times of  the  essayists  and  philosophers.  Above 
all,  we  have  everywhere  about  us  splendid  exempli- 
fications of  the  father's  love,  the  mother's  devotion, 
the  consecration  of  the  reformer,  the  zeal  of  the 
genuine  worshipper.  Surely  this  is  an  amazing 
and  wondrous  possession. 

With  all  this  agreement  concerning  the  highest 
ideal  and  all  this  descriptive  literature,  why  is  it 
that  love  does  not  as  yet  prevail?  If  God  is  love, 


326  Human  Efficiency 

if  love  is  the  very  centre  of  human  life,  why  is  it 
that  multitudes  are  suffering  and  struggling  in 
poverty,  misery,  degradation,  as  if  left  utterly 
alone?  Why  do  men  stand  off  from  their  fellows 
as  if  they  were  not  in  any  sense  of  the  same  kind- 
red, but  rather  like  foes,  ready  at  a  moment's 
notice  to  protect  what  is  boastfully  their  own? 
Surely  it  is  well  to  look  at  the  darker  picture  side 
by  side  with  the  bright  one,  acknowledging  all  that 
is  rampant  in  human  nature,  admitting  the  rarity 
of  ideal  love.  All  that  is  most  vital  and  real  is 
commingled  with  love.  The  literature  referred  to 
is  abundant  in  its  confirmation  of  this  fact.  To 
know  love,  see  its  power  in  the  world,  and  work 
with  it,  we  must  look  at  life  and  see  it  whole, 
effacing  nothing  from  the  picture.  If  faith  must 
frequently  be  summoned  to  our  aid,  let  it  be  so, 
but  we  must  be  brave  and  insistent,  as  true  to 
fact  as  to  ideal — never  forgetting  to  preserve  and 
to  manifest  the  tender  emotion  while  reading  its 
history  in  the  world. 

The  general  answer  many  would  make  to  these 
questions  is  that  man  is  a  creature  of  habit, 
passion,  and  emotion;  that  the  world  is  selfish. 
It  is  ordinarily  said  that  our  situation  in  life  will 
be  no  better  until  human  nature  changes,  and  that 
human  nature  will  never  change.  But  this  is  sheer 
pessimism  and  we  demand  the  triumph  of  love. 
It  is  possible  to  make  headway  from  the  start  if 


The  Law  of  Love  327 

instead  of  merely  regarding  love  as  a  tender  emotion 
with  the  odds  against  it  we  place  more  emphasis 
on  the  idea  of  love,  undertaking  to  inculcate 
sounder  knowledge  of  its  nature,  its  scope,  and 
power.  We  may  advance  still  further  by  more 
seriously  asking,  How  can  our  powers  be  so  trained 
and  co-ordinated  as  to  prepare  for  the  expression  of 
love?  What  qualities  favour  love's  expression? 
What  light  may  be  gained  through  knowledge 
that  man  is  in  the  beginning  a  divided  self?  How 
may  love  be  made  more  efficient  by  fostering  the 
conditions  under  which  it  lives  and  conquers? 
Surely  we  have  no  right  to  condemn  the  world 
and  turn  from  God  in  despair  when  as  yet  we  have 
made  no  attempt  seriously  to  answer  these  more 
searching  questions. 

To  give  answer  it  is  necessary  to  look  deeply 
into  human  life,  to  search  far  back,  look  far 
forward.  For  love  pertains  to  the  lowest  as  well  as 
the  highest  in  human  evolution,  reminding  us 
both  of  the  brute  and  of  the  angel.  Its  mysteries 
are  soluble  only  through  imaginative  sympathy 
with  every  propensity  that  actuates  mankind, 
a  sympathy  which  transcends  class-distinctions, 
and  passes  beyond  the  dominion  of  conventionality. 
The  quest  for  its  meaning  also  takes  us  into  the 
territory  of  the  unexpected,  since  its  most  marvel- 
lous expressions  sometimes  well  into  the  hearts  of 
the  despised,  the  untutored,  and  the  condemned. 


328  Human  Efficiency 

The  solution  of  the  divinest  mystery  is  not  attain- 
able by  turning  at  once  to  the  Father,  as  if  demand- 
ing a  solution  before  we  realise  the  full  force  of 
our  problem.  When,  granted  intimate  knowledge 
of  the  waywardness  of  the  human  heart,  we  can 
look  upon  the  passions  and  contests  of  men  and 
still  see  the  love  of  God  fulfilled,  then  indeed 
shall  we  be  able  to  love  both  God  and  man  in  high 
degree.  If  God  is  love,  His  productive  heart  is 
profoundly  involved  in  these  questions.  Possibly 
we  have  not  taken  into  full  account  the  far-reach- 
ing means  to  the  high  end  to  be  attained  through 
our  sufferings.  Possibly  we  have  held  an  arbitrary, 
exclusive  idea  of  love,  instead  of  looking  for  its 
law  even  in  the  despised  things  of  life. 

We  may  well  begin  by  more  generously  accept- 
ing the  entire  human  cosmos,  in  search  of  a  larger 
view  of  love  as  a  universal  power.  Whatever  love 
may  appear  to  be,  however  transcendent,  it  is 
plain  that  men  have  always  been  deeply  influenced 
by  the  theories  of  love  that  have  prevailed.  So 
long  as  this  is  the  case  it  will  be  possible  to  further 
the  cause  of  love  by  propounding  a  better  view. 

To  say  this  is  not,  however,  to  be  unmindful  of 
the  fact  that  there  is  an  element  which  surpasses 
even  the  most  appreciative  description.  Love 
is  as  rich,  as  mysterious  as  life  itself;  and  we  all 
know  how  life  eludes  us,  now  drawing  from  us 
expressions  of  bitter  discontent,  now  eliciting  our 


The  Law  of  Love  329 

admiration  and  our  joy,  again  baffling  our  wits 
beyond  all  endurance.  Life's  sublimest  joys  and 
greatest  sorrows  are  mingled  with  love.  It  is 
love  we  fight  for,  live  for,  give  everything  to  win. 
Yet  since  this  greatest  of  incentives  is  better 
known  than  aught  else,  there  appears  to  be  every 
reason  why  we  should  say  what  we  can,  leaving 
to  the  heart  of  each  to  make  that  addition  without 
which  our  description  were  poor  indeed.  Perhaps 
our  reluctance  to  speak  about  the  most  sacred  ele- 
ment in  human  experience  is  a  mistake.  Possibly, 
half  the  trouble  is  that  love  signifies  so  much  vague- 
ness of  feeling  that  it  has  not  been  brought  into 
the  clear  light  of  thought.  If  an  inadequate 
philosophy  of  the  affections  has  prevailed,  the 
resource  is  more  and  better  reasoning. 

Love  is  a  quality  or  emotion,  then,  that  is  in- 
volved in  the  whole  of  life,  and  in  the  present  analy- 
sis we  are  presupposing  all  that  has  been  said  in  the 
foregoing  chapters  about  the  original  promptings 
and  incentives  amidst  which  the  emotions  appear. 
First,  we  propose  to  regard  it  rather  as  a  beginning 
or  means  than  an  end,  a  prompting  far  more  than 
a  fulfilment.  While  it  partakes  of  the  unstable, 
flighty  nature  of  the  other  emotions  in  its  earlier 
stages,  it  becomes  less  like  them  as  the  human 
heart  ascends,  and  is  notable  rather  for  its  con- 
stancy. Its  law  is  best  seen  in  relation  to  the 
mile-posts  which  men  pass  along  the  way,  the 


330  Human  Efficiency 

standards  they  raise,  and  the  goals  they  pursue. 
For  while  in  its  essence  love  is  elusive,  is  a  unitary 
power  suffusing  the  whole  of  life,  the  consequences 
to  which  it  leads  may  be  separately  analysed,  and 
under  the  head  of  the  idea  we  may  state  the  worth 
of  the  otherwise  ineffable  emotion. 

Looking  at  the  subject  more  closely,  we  find  an 
abundance  of  people  who  are  able  to  tell  us  what 
love  is  not,  hence  by  implication  what  it  is.  We 
have  been  warned  since  our  youth  not  to  accept 
the  subtle  influences  and  spells  that  pass  as  love. 
The  more  we  know  about  the  dependence  of  the 
mind  on  the  body  the  less  likely  are  we  to  be  misled 
by  its  blandishments.  Thus  as  the  years  succeed 
one  another  we  may  eliminate  more  and  more  of 
the  flesh  from  our  idea,  steadily  building  up  an 
ideal  of  noble,  spiritual  affection,  an  affection 
which  transmutes  the  lower  nature  into  the  higher. 
By  inward  struggle  we  have  learned  once  for  all 
that  there  are  two  natures  in  man,  and  we  have 
come  to  regard  love  as  a  gift  apart  from  passion  and 
essentially  unselfish.  Yet  it  is  clearly  impossible 
to  sunder  love  from  its  physical  history,  a  truth 
most  beautifully  expressed  by  Lowell  in  his  poems 
on  love  and  by  Browning  in  his  "By  the  Fireside. " 
Love  in  some  guise  is  the  incentive  which  sends 
all  men  forth  into  the  world  of  experience.  Life 
is  replete  with  instincts  that  manifest  love — love 
for  existence,  and  the  conditions  that  make  life 


The  Law  of  Love  331 

comfortable  and  happy,  for  the  excellencies  and 
joys,  for  companionship.    Love  is  commingled  with 
all  our  instincts,  likes,  and  preferences,   whether 
of  the  head  or  the  heart.    Without  taking  thought 
we  find  ourselves  pursuing  any  number  of  ends 
amidst  a  wealth  of  propensities  that  relate  us  to 
our  fellows  on  every  side.    Oftentimes  we  know  not 
that  we  love  until  well  launched  in  a  new  experi- 
ence, and  then  only  by  painful  contrast  do  we  at 
first  know  what  love  is.     First  in  point  of  time, 
and  first  with  most  of  the  race  throughout  their 
history,  the  incentives  of  love  are  what  make  us 
creatures  of  action,  courage,  power.    Love  brought 
us  into  being  and  imbues  every  activity  that  stirs 
within  our  selfhood,   this  too  despite  the  other 
truth  that  pride,  lawlessness,  sensuality,  selfishness, 
and  sin,  also  mingle  with  the  motives  that  give  men 
birth.    This  indeed  is  the  fundamental  prompting 
around  which  these  secondary  impulses  gather, 
and  we  never  read  human  history  aright  until  we 
discover  that  this  is  so.    At  the  heart  and  in  the 
beginning,  whatever  else  may  intervene,  there  is 
love.    Hence  fundamental  knowledge  of  the  heart 
includes  knowledge  of  all. 

Children  go  forth  into  the  life  of  play,  for  exam- 
ple, prompted  by  love  in  the  sense  of  self-expres- 
sion. With  restless,  persistent  power  the  young 
life  manifests  its  needs  through  higher  forms,  until 
it  wins  the  attention  of  parents  and  teachers,  and  is 


332  Human  Efficency 

developed  in  appropriate  and  well-known  direc- 
tions. The  one  who  approaches  the  child  through 
the  wisest  love  calls  forth  the  highest  reaction; 
when  love  for  children  and  the  matters  that  per- 
tain to  them  is  lacking  the  secondary  activities 
are  difficult  to  regulate.  As  love  advances,  its 
objects  become  more  clearly  defined,  its  varied 
activities  more  fruitful.  If  it  meet  love  and 
sympathy,  the  right  encouragement  coupled  with 
a  wise  system  of  training,  creative  love  moves 
steadily  upward  to  accomplishment.  If  it  meet 
indifference  or  severe  criticism,  love  retreats, 
checked,  saddened,  and  suppressed.  It  is  wonder- 
ful how  many  matters  are  quickly  adjusted  when 
all  is  well  with  love. 

Again,  there  is  the  love  for  beautiful  forms  which 
manifests  itself  at  a  later  stage  of  human  develop- 
ment. This  aesthetic  love  first  awakens  in  wonder, 
admiration,  praise;  for  example,  in  the  love  of 
beautiful  scenes  in  nature,  particularly  in  the  field 
and  woods,  then  through  love  for  illustrations  in 
books,  pictures,  statuary,  and  other  products  of 
fine  art.  However  restricted  in  expression,  it  is 
at  least  manifested  for  the  works  of  others,  in  the 
enjoyment  of  music  or  the  attainment  of  a  high 
degree  of  excellence  on  the  part  of  our  fellows. 
Eventually  the  love  of  beauty  lifts  us  to  the  divine, 
becomes  part  of  the  ideal  that  most  directly  fur- 
thers our  spiritual  evolution.  Thus  the  love  of. 


The  Law  of  Love  333 

the  beautiful  shows  its  kinship  to  love  for  the 
good  and  "the  beauty  of  holiness"  transfigures 
the  noblest  phase  of  religion. 

A  certain  instinct  for  knowledge  possesses  us  long 
before  we  consciously  become  devotees  of  science. 
It  begins  its  activity  far  back  in  childhood  with 
e^ger  curiosity  and  restless  questionings.  It 
manifests  itself  later  in  a  half -emotional  way, 
and  only  gradually  becomes  itself  in  the  dawning 
of  manhood's  life  of  reason.  All  through  our 
existence  this  love  of  knowledge  still  urges  us  on, 
never  permitting  us  to  be  wholly  satisfied  even 
when  checked  by  outward  circumstance,  blind 
allegiance  to  authority,  or  a  mistaken  religious 
belief.  Truth  could  not  be  itself  without  love,  for 
love  is  the  essence  or  content  of  which  the  idea 
is  the  explicit  form.  Reason  does  not  create  its 
objects  or  invent  its  field  of  inquiry,  and  is  not 
independently  responsible  for  its  own  nature. 
Love  supplies  the  absorbing  subject-matter,  while 
reason  brings  into  clear  light  the  order  and  beauty 
of  the  living  sequences.  True  reason  is  the  logic 
of  love,  that  is,  of  universal  love,  head  and  heart 
are  one  in  the  eternal  Mind.  The  order  which 
reason  makes  explicit  in  its  systematic  account 
of  the  cosmos  is  a  gift  of  the  experience  which 
makes  the  philosopher  essentially  a  lover  of 
wisdom. 

As  Plato  long  ago  pointed  out,  it  is  love  that 


334  Human  Efficiency 

sends  us  forth  in  eager  quest  for  completion  through 
the  moral  life.  As  mere  individuals  we  are  surroun- 
ded by  limitations,  with  the  odds  against  us.  As 
social  beings,  loving  and  serving,  working  in 
consort  with  our  fellowmen,  a  great  realm  of 
possibilities  opens  before  us.  Our  sense  of  incom- 
pleteness expresses  our  dependence,  shows  how  we 
are  bound  one  to  another  by  ties  that  call  for  moral 
self -completion.  The  love  that  stirs  within  us  and 
sends  us  forth  in  search  of  friendship  is  not  merely 
love  for  persons  but  for  the  eternal  idea  which 
rises  supreme  above  all  others,  unites  with  the 
true  and  the  beautiful  to  constitute  the  divine 
order.  There  is  first  the  love  or  desire  for  complete 
self-realisation,  then  the  idea  of  the  good  as  the 
explicit  object  which  love  pursues.  More  than  in 
the  case  of  love  of  beauty  and  truth,  love  for  the 
good  leads  our  consciousness  to  the  divine,  enabling 
us  not  merely  to  live  and  serve  but  to  possess  a 
philosophy  of  goodness. 

Above  all  there  is  love  for  persons,  the  greatest 
incentive  in  human  life.  Beginning  with  the 
manifestations  of  mere  instinct,  long  associated 
with  private  or  selfish  desires,  this  love  gradually 
emerges  and  becomes  purified  until  at  length  it 
appears  as  the  actuating  principle  in  the  noblest 
affiliations  of  men  and  women.  Starting  also  as 
a  purely  domestic  emotion,  centring  about  the 
family,  it  extends  to  the  larger  life  of  service  and 


The  Law  of  Love  335 

self-sacrifice;  and  is  completed  in  extensive  social 
groups  within  and  without  the  church.  Here  as 
elsewhere  the  emotion  comes  first,  later  the  organi- 
sation or  form. 

Thus  we  have  a  general  system  of  love  and  its 
allied  activities,  with  the  ideas  or  objects  in  which 
Jthey  are  fulfilled.  Love  is  the  central  or  primal 
activity  which  originally  stirs  us  and  leads  forth 
to  experience,  also  the  chief  actuating  principle 
along  the  way.  Out  from  the  single  source  proceed 
the  various  distinctive  lines  of  development,  known 
by  the  goals  they  seek  rather  than  by  the  love 
which  prompted  them — love  for  the  beautiful, 
the  true,  the  good ;  for  persons  and  groups  of  per- 
sons in  family  life  and  organisations ;  for  the  cosmic 
whole,  the  moral  order,  the  invisible  kingdom; 
above  all  for  God.  Although  in  the  original  sense 
an  immediacy  or  native  emotion,  allied  with 
pleasure  and  pain,  love  is  singled  out  from  these 
impulses  and  in  a  progressive  life  constantly  under- 
goes development  from  the  merely  immediate 
into  the  realm  of  ideas,  aspirations,  and  inward 
control  through  reason. 

That  love  is  the  central  principle  of  our  nature 
becomes  still  more  clear  when  we  note  that  in 
another  phase  it  is  will.  If  you  would  really 
persuade  a  man,  young  or  old,  put  before  him  an 
object  which  he  is  likely  to  will  to  make  his  own, 
love  him  in  such  a  way  that  his  will  may  change. 


336  Human  Efficiency 

When  will  has  found  a  way  to  its  end  and  has 
brought  abundant  experience,  reason  may  indeed 
follow  and  show  why  the  way  was  sought.  But 
will  is  first  in  order,  that  is,  love  is  the  real  incen- 
tive. This  is  not  of  course  to  say  that  the  will 
ought  always  to  triumph,  for  one  would  like  to  be 
open  both  to  will  and  to  reason.  There  are  matters 
that  belong  rightfully  and  primarily  to  the  heart, 
such  as  that  wonderful  love  by  which  men  and 
women  choose  affinities.  Yet  there  are  also  matters 
that  pertain  to  the  head  in  which  no  interference 
of  the  will  is  desirable.  As  human  evolution  goes 
forward  and  love's  objects  become  more  explicit, 
it  is  inevitable  that  life  should  be  stated  more  as 
idea  rather  than  as  will.  Hence  there  is  a  pro- 
found sense  in  which  he  is  mature  who  obeys 
reason  rather  than  will. 

By  will-power  in  extreme  form  we  mean  a  less 
noble  factor  in  human  life  than  love,  for  love 
does  not  become  crystallised  and  severe.  When 
will  is  obstinate  and  rigid,  it  has  already  ceased 
to  be  love  and  is  subject  to  selfishness.  A  selfish 
person  is  above  all  one  in  whom  the  will  is  trium- 
phant. The  difficulty  is  that  side  by  side  with 
marked  efficiency,  there  is  the  narrowing  assump- 
tion that  one's  personal  way  is  the  only  right  way, 
my  doctrine  is  true  while  yours  is  false.  When 
the  will  is  thus  enslaved  all  partners  suffer.  For 
the  possessor  of  such  a  will  the  way  is  prepared 


The  Law  of  Love  337 

for  the  greatest  struggle  in  human  life — the  yield- 
ing of  the  will  through  moral  regeneration. 

In  contrast  with  this  arbitrary  self-assertiveness, 
love  is  ever  outgoing,  appreciative;  it  accepts, 
welcomes,  finding  room  for  many  people  of  diverse 
types  in  the  world.  In  love's  enlightened  world 
each  soul  counts  for  one  and  one  only,  each  man 
is*  encouraged  to  make  his  gift.  Love  moves 
forward,  its  pathways  lead  far  beyond  mere  alle- 
giance to  personal  leaders,  to  admiration  for  uni- 
versal objects;  and  these  are  not  limited  by  time, 
place,  person,  or  authority  of  any  sort.  In  due 
course  our  revered  leaders  are  seen  in  proper 
perspective  in  the  light  of  the  ideal  ends  which 
they  serve.  Later,  both  persons  and  the  causes 
to  which  they  are  devoted  are  seen  in  relation  to 
the  divine  Person. 

The  arbitrary  person  is  one  who  refuses  the 
enlightenment  which  the  head  may  bestow  upon 
the  heart.  The  assumption  is  that  the  feminine  or 
emotional  element  is  all-sufficient,  that  the  intellect 
is  cold  and  unfeeling.  But  careful  analysis  in  the 
light  of  results  shows,  as  we  have  before  noted, 
that  intuition  is  at  best  merely  a  half,  incapable 
of  attaining  wholeness  apart  from  the  rational  or 
verifying  factor;  while  in  many  instances  an  emo- 
tion is  merely  a  clue  of  no  value  until  tested  in  the 
light  of  its  consequences.  An  intuition  proves  its 
worth  when  it  leads  to  successful  eventuations, 


338  Human  Efficiency 

modified  or  elaborated  through  the  critical  aid 
offered  by  reason.  The  love  that  is  content  to 
remain  mere  emotion  is  forever  immature  and 
unstable.  Mere  warmth  of  feeling  is  in  itself  no 
sign  of  the  noble  and  worthy,  but  may  lead  down 
as  well  as  up.  Genuine  love  accepts  the  good 
offices  of  reason  and  is  tempered  by  wisdom.  Love 
and  wisdom  together  make  the  perfect  whole. 

In  all  this,  the  critic  will  insist,  I  am  assuming 
that  love  is  unselfish,  spiritual,  whereas  by  my  own 
argument  it  follows  that  love  is  the  life  even  of 
selfish  man.  The  difficulty  is  that  one  must  use 
the  same  word  with  reference  to  widely  different 
motives  and  types  of  experience.  In  the  fore- 
going account  I  have  endeavoured  to  keep  free 
from  theological  entanglements  and  to  hold  to  the 
Greek  conception  of  human  nature  as  inherently 
good.  That  is  to  say,  the  power  of  love  in  us, 
even  when  manifested  on  the  sensuous  level,  is  of 
and  from  the  divine.  Love  is  the  universal  activity 
within  us  which  sends  us  forth  in  pursuit  of  the 
divine.  By  implication  it  is  already  that  which  is 
highest,  purest,  noblest.  Moreover,  the  self,  hence 
the  will,  is  inherently  sound,  true ;  for  the  soul  is  a 
child  of  God,  and  exists  in  order  that  it  may  fulfil 
the  purposes  of  the  Father.  As  little  children  we 
go  forth  innocent,  pure  and  fresh  from  heavenly 
sources.  Unless  heaven  were  "about  us  in  our 
infancy, "  unless  we  were  potentially  angels,  unless 


The  Law  of  Love  339 

the  Father's  love  were  the  prime  motive  power 
we  never  could  become  heavenly  beings  in  the 
far  future. 

Evil  and  sin  are  not  explained  by  assuming 
that  the  elements  are  bad,  the  self  is  wicked. 
Equipped  with  a  nature  capable  of  withstanding 
t^ie  frictions  and  tribulations  of  growth,  replete 
with  instincts,  guided  by  a  love  that  is  capable  of 
leading  us  through  everything  to  the  end,  we  are 
sent  forth  into  being,  unconscious,  unquickened. 
It  is  natural  that  with  all  the  care  for  self  required 
for  existence  in  this  natural  world  we  should  at 
first  express  our  love  through  the  channels  of 
self-interest.  But  it  is  not  necessary  to  charge 
love  with  selfishness,  or  call  it  "blind."  The 
natural  history  of  love  involves  every  experience 
in  human  life.  That  history  is  the  record  of  love's 
progressive  efforts  to  attain  fulness  of  expression. 
Thus  a  time  comes  when  passion  and  sensuality 
are  put  behind,  while  love  presses  steadily  on. 
So  with  all  the  fluctuations  of  the  human  heart 
through  the  love-affairs  of  young  and  old,  the 
relationships  of  parent  and  child,  husband  and 
wife,  son  and  mother-in-law.  These  are  stages 
in  the  great  struggle  of  the  soul  into  fulness  of 
being.  It  would  be  unfair  to  judge  love  by  the 
conditions  of  its  evolution. 

There  is  a  sense,  to  be  sure,  in  which  love  is 
personal  and  must  ever  remain  so.  The  mother 


34°  Human  Efficiency 

must  care  first  for  her  own  child,  protecting  it  with 
special  devotion  and  a  display  of  peculiar  tender- 
ness. The  husband  or  wife  is  dear  in  an  individual 
respect  never  shared  with  the  world  in  general. 
There  is  a  great  difference  between  friendship  and 
complete  marital  love  based  on  genuine  inner 
affinity.  These  are  rightful  differences.  They  are 
personal  and  should  remain  so.  There  is  nothing 
higher  in  the  cosmos  than  to  be  a  person.  One 
would  take  very  little  interest  even  in  an  angel 
who  should  be  merely  impersonal.  One  has  no 
sympathy  with  the  rude  levelling  doctrines  which 
undertake  to  reduce  people  to  so  many  units,  as  if 
quality  were  of  no  account.  Love  begins  by  being 
personal  and  never  succeeds  in  discovering  aught 
that  is  higher. 

Nevertheless,  we  have  seen  that  in  the  last  analy- 
sis love  is  intelligible  in  the  light  of  the  ends  it 
seeks.  Love  for  the  true  and  the  beautiful,  for 
example,  becomes  differentiated  from  love  of 
persons,  and  rightfully  so.  Although  pursued  by 
persons,  more  or  less  for  the  sake  of  persons,  and 
in  behalf  of  the  good,  the  arts  and  sciences  are  so 
far  independent  that  they  flourish  best  when  most 
free.  Hence  the  discerning  man  is  one  who  knows 
in  what  respect  love  leads  now  to  personal  and  now 
to  universal  ends. 

Even  in  the  sphere  of  the  good  the  transcendence 
of  the  impersonal  and  universal  over  the  personal 


The  Law  of  Love  341 

is  seen.  That  is,  d'sinterestedness  takes  the  place 
of  private  considerations.  The  growing  moral  man 
becomes  steadily  disinterested,  narrowing  his 
essentially  personal  relationships  to  very  few. 
But  the  two  loves  continue  side  by  side  in  the 
normal  life.  The  term  ' '  heavenly  love ' '  is  perhaps 
fcest  expressive  of  this  union  of  the  personal  and 
the  impersonal.  Such  love  has  in  view  the  highest 
spiritual  welfare  of  the  soul,  of  all  souls,  hence  is 
impartial,  universal.  Yet  it  centres  about  person- 
ality and  is  manifested  in  behalf  of  personalities. 
It  is  not  love  as  ordinarily  understood  but  love 
fully  and  harmoniously  united  with  wisdom. 

Love  is  at  once  the  strongest  bond  in  human 
life  and  the  power  that  most  fully  sets  men  free. 
If  we  could  do  as  we  like,  many  of  us  would  doubt- 
less turn  from  people  who  are  able  to  be  of  great 
service  to  us,  we  would  sunder  family  ties  and 
other  relationships,  and  start  anew  in  other  fields. 
But  it  is  fortunate  for  us  that  love  and  the  duties 
that  grow  out  of  love  compel  us  to  remember  and 
take  account  of  the  fact  that  we  have  fathers, 
mothers,  grandparents,  sisters,  brothers,  cousins. 
Thus  intimately  and  inseparably  related  we  are 
compelled  to  learn  the  deeper  lessons  of  life.  As  a 
reward  for  our  fidelity  the  greater  love  is  bestowed 
upon  us.  In  fact,  one  might  almost  say  that  true 
love  begins  with  the  deepening  of  ties  that  hold  us 
where  we  are  and  help  us  to  be  unselfish.  If  we 


342  Human  Efficiency 

could  endlessly  yield  ourselves  to  its  enticements, 
we  should  never  know  true  love.  But  when  we 
have  once  committed  the  heart  in  full  measure  to 
one  person,  family  or  group,  the  will  comes  to  the 
support  of  love,  scattered  affection  becomes  an 
affair  of  the  past,  and  the  conditions  of  stable 
affection  are  attained.  Thus  love  and  character 
grow  strong  together  and  life  is  characterised  by 
a  purpose. 

In  our  early  zeal  we  are  apt  to  think  that  love 
means  mating  with  one  person  and  going  away  to 
enjoy  life.  Now,  it  is  true  that  love  of  a  certain 
type  begins  with  a  relationship  of  two,  and  that 
every  pair  of  lovers  need  opportunity  to  live  and 
grow  together.  Yet  the  severer  tests  of  love  come 
with  the  relationship  between  the  two  and  their 
fellows.  The  ties  that  unite  two  souls  are  strength- 
ened in  so  far  as  the  influences  that  seek  to 
come  between  them  are  understood  and  met. 
The  heart-relationships  of  a  year  seem  meagre  in 
comparison  with  those  of  six,  eight,  a  dozen  years ; 
and  steadily  the  reality  grows.  In  instances  where 
external  influences  are  permitted  to  enter  and  mar 
or  break  the  gentle,  sacred  relationship  of  two 
souls,  a  prime  reason  is  found  in  the  fact  that 
mutual  understanding  fails  to  keep  pace  with 
mutual  1ove.  Love  of  the  ideal  sort  which  we  find 
occasionally  amongst  our  fellows  is  not  a  simple 
relationship,  but  it  has  become  its  ideal  actuality 


The  Law  of  Love  343 

through  growth,  by  mutual  contact  with  the 
wealthiness  of  human  experience,  through  con- 
siderateness,  through  wisdom,  and  ever -ready 
adaptation. 

It  is  necessary  to  insist  upon  the  transition  from 
emotion  to  idea,  from  simplicity  to  fulness  inas- 
tnuch  as  the  mere  idea  of  it  is  usually  scorned. 
People  linger  endlessly  in  the  emotional  stage, 
endeavouring  to  hold  fast  to  a  sort  of  ecstasy,  as  if 
only  thus  could  love  be  won.  They  steadily  refuse 
to  bring  their  affections  out  into  the  light  of 
thought,  as  if  intellectual  inspection  would  spoil 
them.  Thus  love  is  confined,  checked,  kept  one- 
sided as  if  there  were  hostile  elements  that  would 
destroy  it.  But  those  large  and  generous  people 
who  stand  as  ideal  representatives  of  love,  permit 
love  to  fill  their  entire  being,  they  love  with  the 
totality  of  the  selfhood.  Such  people  find  a  joy 
in  the  mere  presence  of  a  revered  friend,  although 
no  word  be  spoken,  and  again  in  the  mutual  work 
to  which  both  are  consecrated,  the  work  that 
proceeds  quietly  from  day  to  day,  with  no  flourish 
of  trumpets  to  proclaim  it. 

Love,  one  insists,  is  by  nature  outgoing,  enlarg- 
ing, quickening.  The  sign  of  its  genuine  arrival 
is  seen  in  one's  longing  to  share  with  others,  an 
outreaching  in  sympathy  and  eager  joy.  Those 
who  fail  to  move  outward  and  forward  into  com- 
pleter  life  are  inevitably  drawn  in  the  opposite 


344  Human  Efficiency 

direction — into  a  smaller  world  than  before.  But 
the  one  who  responds,  moving  outward  with  the 
new  wave  of  life,  finds  the  possibilities  of  exis- 
tence developing  without  limit.  Hence  when  two 
who  meet  in  real  love,  welcome  others  into  their  lar- 
ger world,  they  steadily  grow  in  devoted  tenderness. 
Again,  love  is  creative.  If  men  knew  this  and 
were  able  to  turn  their  thoughts  and  activities  in 
productive  directions  they  would  find  a  sure  escape 
from  the  emotional  fluctuations  of  the  artistic 
temperament  and  the  inner  conflicts  of  the  reli- 
gious life.  The  stirrings  of  love  cannot  be  impeded 
but  must  have  expression.  To  realise  that  love  is 
divine  in  origin  and  tends  towards  heavenly  goals 
is  to  see  that  something  is  demanded  of  us  by  way 
of  co-operation.  To  respond  in  full  earnestness 
is  to  consider  the  particular  end  just  now  aimed  at 
by  love,  hence  to  become  absorbed  in  the  objective. 
That  is  to  say,  while  the  creative  prompting  may 
be  the  same  in  origin  in  us  all,  it  assumes  different 
forms  according  to  our  capacity  and  experience. 
Some  are  prompted  to  paint  a  picture,  some  to 
design  a  building,  others  to  compose,  to  write,  to 
sing,  or  play ;  still  others  turn  the  creative  life  into 
the  work  of  the  church  or  some  organisation  devoted 
to  social  welfare.  The  crucial  point  in  each  case 
is  the  expression  of  love  for  the  benefit  of  others 
in  contrast  with  the  tendency  to  keep  the  new 
life  for  oneself, 


The  Law  of  Love  345 

Love  not  only  brings  freedom  but  makes  life 
new.  It  is  remarkable  how  many  times  friends  are 
able  to  make  a  fresh  start  in  mutual  work  and  ser- 
vice when  they  meet  in  love,  effacing  differences  of 
opinion,  drawing  nearer  to  the  everlasting  reali- 
ties. A  word  of  love  and  cheer  surpasses  all  other 
Utterances  in  power.  For  love's  sake  one  is  will- 
ing to  undertake  the  seemingly  impossible,  to 
begin  again  when  all  signs  have  failed.  If  the 
companion  one  seeks  is  not  forthcoming,  love 
finds  a  way  to  distribute  itself,  so  to  speak,  so 
that  its  ends  are  attained.  Love  and  a  few  pos- 
sessions, and  one  or  two  congenial  souls  make  a 
world  for  us.  Without  love  nothing  is  truly  worth 
while. 

In  this  description  the  central  point  on  which 
one  insists  is  that  love  is  essentially  an  activity 
starting  with  the  immediate  promptings  of  human 
nature,  and  passing  through  various  stages.  Hence 
love  is  not  intelligible  through  static  conditions 
but  in  the  light  of  its  evolution.  This  is  the  side  of 
love  most  often  neglected  in  our  zeal  for  immediate 
possession.or  for  satisfaction  in  the  present.  Love's 
choicest  gifts  are  not  found  in  the  emotions  which 
fill  the  hour  and  sweep  outwards  to  the  horizon, 
leading  us  to  ignore  all  else;  they  are  bestowed 
amidst  fluctuations  and  new  adjustments  along 
the  line  of  growth.  He  who  does  not  know  that 
love,  especially  marital  love  and  the  best  love  which 


346  Human  Efficiency 

the  Spirit  inspires  in  us,  means  development,  will 
miss  the  greatest  joys  as  well  as  the  profoundest 
lessons.  For  when  we  realise  that  varied  develop- 
ment accompanies  love  through  the  years,  we 
gather  the  rich  values  of  experience  into  an  ideal 
consciousness  that  moves  on  apace  with  added 
power.  Thus  understanding  plays  a  greater  part 
in  our  affections,  love  becomes  calmer  and  wiser, 
filling  the  inner  spaces  where  once  we  would  have 
been  disturbed.  Then,  marvellous  to  relate,  we 
discover  that  at  each  turning-point  love  has  some 
new  joy  commingled  with  the  compensation  that 
completes  the  latest  round  of  tests  or  tribulations. 
This  renewing,  quickening  power  of  love,  delight- 
ing us  by  its  noble  surprises,  is  the  greatest  wonder 
of  the  heart. 

With  the  growth  of  more  illuminating  ideas  of 
love  there  comes  knowledge  of  the  conditions  under 
which  it  can  best  be  expressed.  While  we  cannot 
at  will  feel  love,  we  may  lower  the  voice,  express 
ourselves  in  gentler  ways,  with  more  kindness  and 
considerateness.  We  may  also  emulate  the  best 
qualities  our  friends  manifest.  For  example,  here 
is  a  man  of  seventy  years  who  always  speaks  in  the 
same  pleasant  tone,  with  a  kindly  smile.  His  wife 
testifies  that  in  her  forty  years  of  married  life  she 
has  never  heard  him  speak  in  an  angry  tone, 
although  he  has  had  abundant  provocation.  This 
is  a  great  thing  to  be  able  to  say  of  a  man.  To  be 


The  Law  of  Love  347 

thus  kind  and  pleasant  is  to  go  very  far  towards 
manifesting  the  tenderest  love. 

Again,  when  there  is  a  division  within  the  self 
and  it  is  plain  that  one's  inheritance  does  not 
foster  the  expression  of  love,  one  may  positively 
refuse  to  identify  the  self  with  the  unloving  traits 
txhat  have  been  handed  down.  If  obstinate,  dis- 
agreeable, selfish  in  disposition,  yet  courteous, 
kind,  pleasant,  when  in  company  and  with  friends, 
one  may  group  the  disagreeable  traits  manifested 
at  home  under  the  head  of  "the  old  self"  that  is 
being  conquered,  identifying  the  true  self  with  the 
gentler  qualities.  Each  day  one  may  make  deter- 
mined effort  to  express  the  ideal  self,  turning  from 
the  old  as  from  an  enemy,  withdrawing  the  atten- 
tion, hence  the  life,  and  bestowing  it  upon  the 
ideal.  Moreover  one  may  rely  upon  the  subcon- 
scious responses,  remembering  the  law  stated  in 
another  chapter  that  an  activity  once  started  in 
vigorous  motion  tends  to  perpetuate  itself. 

The  efficiency  of  love  is  thus  seen  in  its  determina- 
tion to  find  a  way,  find  some  way,  however  many 
may  have  failed.  To  be  sure,  one  must  sometimes 
chronicle  the  sad  fact  that  husband  or  wife,  mother 
or  son,  does  not  love  sufficiently,  really  does  not 
love,  or  a  way  would  be  found.  But  it  is  not  easy 
to  condemn  if  we  are  determined  to  know  every 
factor.  The  most  wilfully  self-centred  person  may 
be  turned  from  selfishness  to  love  if  one  utter  the 


348  Human  Efficiency 

right  word,  approaching  in  the  gentlest  spirit, 
ready  to  forgive  until  seventy  times  seven.  Love 
cannot  afford  to  admit  that  love  is  not  present  in 
the  other.  The  love  that  opens  wide  the  heart 
when  the  world  would  condemn  awakens  a  wonder- 
ful response.  The  man  or  woman  who  has  been 
most  hateful,  debased,  or  sensuous,  may  become 
one  of  the  most  zealous  workers  in  love's  behalf 
when  the  heart  is  touched.  A  kindly  word,  a 
simple  deed  done  almost  without  thought,  may  be 
the  turning-point  in  the  life  of  the  one  who  hears. 
Religion  can  accomplish  what  all  other  influences 
fail  to  attain. * 

Over  against  some  of  the  sternest  scenes  in 
human  life  it  is  ever  our  lot  to  witness  we  sometimes 
meet  the  greatest  tenderness  of  which  the  heart  is 
capable.  Now  we  are  pained  by  the  unaccountable 
gruffness  and  animality  of  man,  and  now  touched 
with  the  tenderest  sentiment  from  within,  as  if  a 
listening  angel  heard  the  heart's  dismay  and 
answered  with  a  gentle  message  filled  with  the 
love  of  heaven,  lest  in  our  bewilderment  we  should 
lose  faith.  Again,  one  is  stirred  to  the  depths  by 
the  ingratitude  of  men,  pushed  rudely  aside, 

1  See  the  wonderful  record  of  conversions  narrated  by  Harold 
Begbie,  in  Twice-born  Men,  and  Souls  in  Action;  New  York,  1910. 
In  these  two  striking  books  the  author  has  with  singular  fidelity 
to  psychological  principles  stated  the  crises  of  the  heart,  the 
changes  from  lower  to  higher  through  which  a  regeneration  of 
character  was  accomplished. 


The  Law  of  Love  349 

harshly  spoken  to,  or  left  utterly  alone  when  the 
heart  is  most  hungry;  but  forthwith  to  be  shown 
anew  the  fulness  and  beauty  of  the  divine  love 
which  comforts,  cheers,  even  ministers  unto  us  as 
a  person  might  minister.  Thus  by  contrasts  and 
reactions  we  begin  to  know  the  glories  and  the 
blessings  of  heavenly  affection.  Thus  we  see  that 
Ibve  at  its  best  is  the  divine  heart  quickening  the 
souls  of  men. 

"  Behold, "  says  St.  John,  "what  manner  of  love 
the  Father  hath  bestowed  upon  us,  that  we  should 
be  called  children  of  God :  and  such  we  are. "  Con- 
sider how  beautiful  and  glorious  is  the  heritage  to 
be  children  of  Him  who  is  love  itself,  who  for  love's 
sake  has  sent  us  forth  into  the  joys  of  being.  Al- 
ready children  of  God,  "  it  is  not  yet  made  manifest 
what  we  shall  be, "  for  sometime  we  are  to  be  men 
and  women  of  God,  to  manifest  in  love's  fulness 
the  power  of  the  divine  in  us.  This  much  we  know: 
that  when  we  attain  unto  manhood's  estate  we 
shall  be  like  the  Father — a  being  filled,  literally 
filled  with  love,  one  in  whom  there  is  no  hatred, 
no  jealousy,  envy,  or  enmity.  Merely  to  have  this 
hope,  the  beloved  disciple  assures  us,  is  already  to 
begin  to  be  purified. 

Then,  too,  how  sure  is  the  sign  which  love  gives 
us.  "We  know  that  we  have  passed  out  of  death 
into  life  because  we  love  the  brethren.  He  that 
loveth  not  abideth  in  death."  Love  forthwith 


350  Human  Efficiency 

prompts  us  to  do  something  for  our  fellows,  a  deed 
that  has  life  in  it,  that  involves  giving  up  some- 
thing on  our  part.  Only  by  opening  the  heart  of 
compassion  can  we  expect  the  divine  love  to  enter 
in.  It  does  not  suffice  to  love  in  thought,  to  utter 
love  with  the  lips ;  but  we  are  counselled  to  love 
in  very  deed  and  truth.  That  is,  love  becomes 
objective  and  is  fulfilled  both  in  service  and  in 
idea.  We  possess  the  truth  or  reality  of  love 
only  through  this  its  complete  manifestation. 
When  we  pass  thus  into  adequate  expression  we 
know  that  we  have  found  the  true  reality  not 
merely  because  of  the  sincere  and  full  response 
of  the  human  heart  but  because  of  the  divine 
spirit  conferred  upon  us.  This  experience  gives  a 
confidence  not  otherwise  known,  and  the  power 
to  ask  and  receive  whatever  is  needed  for  the 
complete  life. 

When  we  have  thus  felt  the  quickening  life  of 
love,  it  is  reasonable  to  become  persuasive  and 
say,  "Beloved,  let  us  love  one  another:  for  love  is 
of  God;  and  every  one  that  loveth  is  begotten  of 
God,  and  knoweth  God."  Until  we  have  felt  the 
divine  touch  it  seems  absurd  to  be  told  that  we 
ought  to  love,  for  we  do  not  feel  love.  The  best 
that  we  can  do  is  to  put  ourselves  in  conditions 
likely  to  invite  the  divine  quickening.  One  of 
these  is  attained  through  appreciative  understand- 
ing of  what  God  is  as  the  Father.  The  mere  fact 


The  Law  of  Love  351 

of  our  existence  is  one  clue.  But  the  supreme  idea 
is  that  of  the  true  starting-point  for  all  philosophi- 
cal thought,  the  thought  that  begins  with  God. 
Hence  we  ascend  to  the  realisation  that  love  is  not 
known  primarily  because  men  love  but  because  the 
Father  loves  us.  "Herein  is  love,  not  that  we 
loved  God,  but  that  he  loved  us.  ...  We  love 
because  he  first  loved  us. "  Moreover,  the  Father 
so  loved  us  that  he  made  full  manifestation  of 
Himself  through  an  incarnation  which  wholly 
covers  the  needs  of  men  and  points  the  compre- 
hensive way  to  the  perfect  life.  Herein  is  love 
made  perfect — through  union  of  the  divine  with 
the  human. 

Thus  again  the  idea  is  the  greatest  help,  for  we 
realise  the  high  end  set  before  the  love  that  is 
manifested  in  humanity ;  we  have  a  mode  of  thought 
grounded  in  a  secure  first  principle.  Hitherto  we 
may  have  tried  to  think  upwards  to  find  God, 
and  partly  failed;  we  may  even  have  expected 
to  see  Him.  Now  we  realise  that  "no  man  hath 
beheld  God  at  any  time, "  but  that  if  we  love  one 
another  "God  abideth  in  us."  The  fruits  that 
follow  prove  this.  The  love  of  God  and  humanity 
arises  within  us,  and  the  desire  to  keep  the  com- 
mandments, that  is,  be  true  to  the  promptings  of 
the  Spirit.  God  hath  given  us  of  His  Spirit — 
that  is  the  essence  of  the  matter.  We  now  have 
the  inmost  incentive,  and  also  the  true  principle 


353  Human  Efficiency 

of  thought.  Hence  the  precept  is  no  longer  irk- 
some to  us  when  we  are  assured  that  we  "ought" 
to  love  one  another. 

Thus  we  once  more  realise  that  love  is  the  life 
of  man,  for  we  see  how  much  deeper  is  the  conver- 
sion that  touches  the  heart.  We  also  realise  that 
the  eye  must  be  single.  Whatever  we  unquali- 
fiedly love  affects  the  whole  life.  When  I  love 
God  then  shall  I  live  by  love,  opening  wide  the 
heart  to  all  my  fellows,  then  shall  I  know  in  truth 
that  "  God  is  love. "  Yet  the  same  realisation  that 
deepens  our  appreciation  of  the  divine  love  shows 
that  it  is  inseparable  from  the  divine  wisdom,  for 
the  two  are  one  in  essence.  Likewise  in  man  we 
see  that  masculine  and  feminine,  reason  and  the 
heart,  are  one  in  essence  and  in  ideal,  awaiting 
only  the  union  which  this  complete  consecration 
to  the  Father  creates  within  us.  Granted  this 
central  insight,  we  have  an  ultimate  principle  of 
thought  and  a  fundamental  guide  to  conduct. 
He  who  has  thus  been  unified  can  find  unity,  order, 
beauty  everywhere,  transcending  in  foresight  at 
least  the  discords  and  misdeeds  of  men,  and 
beholding  in  anticipation  the  time  when  all  men 
shall  be  united  in  love  with  the  Father  and  with 
their  fellowmen. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

i  MORAL  EFFICIENCY 

THE  greatest  problem  in  the  moral  order  centres 
about  the  will,  namely,  the  question  of  awaken- 
ing manhood,  the  arousing  of  a  consciousness  of 
responsibility,  the  quickening  of  conscience,  the 
development  of  character.  But  before  those  of  us 
who  have  the  moral  welfare  of  mankind  seriously 
at  heart  can  meet  this  fundamental  need  in  the 
wisest  manner  we  must  come  to  terms  with 
another  central  issue,  the  insistent  question,  What 
is  worth  while?  We  are  also  compelled  of  course 
to  deal  with  the  problem  of  evil.  For  many, 
however,  the  solution  of  this  problem  is  inseparably 
bound  up  with  the  discovery  of  a  goal  which  shall 
enlist  all  man's  powers  in  behalf  of  the  right. 
Hence  there  is  an  urgent  call  for  an  ideal  to  which 
we  may  give  full  allegiance,  one  that  shall  resolve 
our  conflicts,  overcome  suppressions,  set  our 
energies  free,  and  ennoble  our  attitude  towards 
mankind.  We  are  fully  persuaded  of  the  value  of 
loyalty.  We  know  that  we  should  be  practical, 
beginning  at  a  wisely  chosen  point  and  working 
«  353 


354  Human  Efficiency 

towards  a  clearly  defined  end.  But  we  are  often 
at  a  loss  to  know  what  cause  is  worthy  of  our 
zeal,  how  to  apply  our  loyalty  to  advantage. 
Thus  uncertain  and  in  a  measure  unstable,  we 
often  work  with  a  sense  of  profound  dissatisfac- 
tion, doing  as  well  as  we  can  in  the  field  at  hand, 
trusting  that  somehow  the  harvest  will  ripen 
and  that  competent  reapers  will  make  good  our 
short-comings. 

This  indeterminate  state  of  mind  is  partly  due 
to  the  fact  that  we  do  not  more  valiantly  face  the 
issues  of  moral  theory  in  search  of  a  unifying 
principle.  We  are  stronger  in  the  domain  of  desire, 
emotional  zeal,  than  in  the  kingdom  of  the  idea. 
What  is  demanded  is  sturdier  analysis  of  rival 
conceptions  of  the  good.  By  this  one  means 
something  more  than  the  study  of  arguments  in 
favour  or  against  the  notion  that  the  good  is 
pleasure,  or  the  contentions  with  respect  to  the 
origin  of  morals,  the  nature  of  conscience,  and  the 
basis  of  moral  obligation.  I  hope  to  show  that 
the  problem  is  partly  one  of  analysis  of  tempera- 
ments, partly  that  of  insight  into  tendencies  for 
which  our  age  emphatically  stands.  That  is,  the 
question  of  the  greatest  good  is  inseparable  from 
the  larger  issues  of  the  interpretation  of  human 
nature. 

Such  analysis  appears  to  be  out  of  the  question 
for  the  most  of  us  because  it  seems  to  call  for 


Moral  Efficiency  355 

careful  study  of  the  great  doctrines  whose  history 
involves  Greek  life  at  its  best,  also  Christian  life 
in  its  various  stages,  to  say  nothing  of  moral  ideals 
that  are  partly  traceable  to  more  distant  sources. 
But  the  situation  is  not  so  difficult  as  it  appears, 
for  there  are  comparatively  few  typical  moral 
attitudes,  and  these  appear  and  reappear  through- 
out human  history.  These  attitudes  are  readily 
discoverable  in  our  time  because  germane  to  human 
nature.  Without  unduly  complicating  our  prob- 
lem we  may  examine  the  moral  issues  close  at 
hand.  By  noting  their  excesses  and  defects  we 
shall  make  headway  in  the  development  of  an 
adequate  moral  ideal.  I  shall  first  consider  cer- 
tain types  of  moral  consciousness  in  which  zeal 
for  a  given  moral  standard  is  overdone,  then  turn 
to  more  recent  types  in  which  the  moral  standard 
is  by  no  means  strong  enough.  Thus  contrast 
will  teach  us  an  important  lesson. 

It  is  characteristic  of  some  of  the  most  zealous 
moral  people  in  the  world  to  state  their  ideals  in 
negative  and  prohibitory  terms.  These  leaders 
not  only  tell  the  world  what  ought  not  to  be  done, 
but  insist  on  their  central  doctrine  in  a  spendthrift 
fashion.  Ordinarily,  too,  they  are  strongly  dogma- 
tic in  tone,  and  exclude  peoples  of  other  nationalities 
as  well  as  those  at  hand  who  are  not  so  fortunate 
as  to  be  orthodox  Christians.  Hence  you  will 
find  them  decrying  and  condemning  as  often  as 


356  Human  Efficiency 

supporting  and  commending.  Now,  a  universal 
principle  is  necessarily  in  some  sense  exclusive, 
otherwise  it  cannot  be  a  standard,  representative 
of  the  best.  But  it  must  exclude  in  a  totally 
different  manner,  and  because  it  is  founded  on  a 
basis  that  lies  much  deeper  than  merely  tempera- 
mental partisanship  or  national  faith. 

The  moral  ideal  which  shall  enlist  our  full 
activity  must  be  grounded  in  human  nature 
rationally  interpreted,  in  the  moral  order  itself, 
and  this  order  includes  all  mankind.  It  is  not 
primarily  a  question  of  time,  place,  person,  nation, 
sacred  book,  code  of  laws,  or  religion;  but  of  con- 
science, righteousness,  the  moral  law.  Hence 
while  assimilating  the  loyalty  of  the  human  spirit 
we  must  pass  far  beyond  the  negations  of  personal 
preference  and  will.  In  what  immediately  follows 
I  shall  try  to  throw  light  on  moral  ideals  by  recast- 
ing certain  negative  doctrines  in  positive  form. 

First  let  us  consider  the  self-coercive  attitude 
which  some  of  our  most  zealous  moral  friends 
assume.  I  emphasise  the  fact  that  these  strenu- 
ous zealots  are  self-coercive  in  order  to  credit 
them  with  practising  what  they  preach,  but  their 
misplaced  energy  is  chiefly  directed  against  others. 
These  people  are  extremely  capable,  and  one  finds 
them  occupying  prominent  positions,  for  example, 
in  schools,  or  in  institutions  devoted  to  social 
reform.  Ordinarily  they  are  dogmatic  in  tone, 


Moral  Efficiency  357 

arbitrary,  autocratic,  cock-sure,  and  on  occasion 
capable  of  becoming  violent  partisans.  They  retain 
their  positions  rather  through  force  of  character 
than  through  knowledge  of  human  nature  or  human 
history.  The  will  rather  than  the  intellect  is  their 
chief  power,  and  if  their  wills  were  not  sometimes 
softened  through  the  sweetness  of  their  affections 
it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  live  with  them. 
They  are  persons  of  pronounced  conviction,  with 
the  strongest  preferences  for  people  and  things. 
Competent  specialists,  they  are  given  positions 
of  trust  because  there  is  work  to  be  done  and  they 
are  able  to  make  people  do  it.  Highly  executive 
in  type  they  know  how  to  organise  their  work  in 
all  its  departments  so  as  to  call  the  utmost  from 
their  co-workers.  Unsparing  of  their  own  time  and 
energy,  they  expect  others  to  be  unsparing,  too, 
and  this  is  where  the  trouble  begins.  For  without 
regard  to  the  condition  their  co-workers  are  in 
they  will  suddenly  spring  upon  them  with  new 
work  to  be  done.  Their  argument  seems  to  be  that 
since  there  is  work  to  be  done  the  individual  must 
be  sacrificed  to  the  whole.  Sometimes  this  means 
that  the  co-worker  suffers  most  who  is  most  fit, 
who  demands  most  consideration,  and  who  just 
then  is  least  in  a  condition  to  serve. 

Now,  a  prime  requisite  of  moral  efficiency  is 
adjustment  to  the  work  to  be  done  in  accordance 
with  the  state  of  mental  and  physical  health  of 


358  Human  Efficiency 

those  who  perform  it.  If  a  teacher  or  leader  hold 
himself  to  his  task  by  sheer  force  of  will,  when  the 
organism  is  unfit,  there  will  be  difficulty  from 
the  beginning.  The  assumption  is  that  because  the 
leader  is  capable  of  accomplishing  a  vast  amount  of 
work  therefore  all  subordinates  should  exert  them- 
selves to  the  full,  despite  the  fact  that  they  differ 
in  temperament,  in  health,  and  in  capacity.  The 
first  fallacy  hides  the  unfitness  of  the  leader,  the 
second  is  the  assumption  that  all  can  work  alike. 
Charity  begins  at  home  in  more  senses  than  one, 
and  it  is  a  duty  of  the  true  moral  reformer  to  keep 
himself  in  prime  condition  for  his  work,  the  work 
that  he  can  do  best.  Each  co-worker  is  a  human 
being  with  individual  rights,  and  no  one  knows 
so  well,  or  should  know  so  well,  what  he  can  do 
and  how  he  can  most  wisely  accomplish  it  as  the 
worker  himself.  Hence  it  is  wrong  for  the  leader 
to  undertake  to  be  the  judge.  It  goes  without  say- 
ing that  the  moral  worker  who  is  genuinely  efficient 
and  knows  his  powers  can  on  occasion  work  an 
unusual  number  of  hours  at  heroic  labour. 

To  apply  the  moral  lash  to  those  who  do  not 
conform  to  one's  personal  standard  is  to  be  guilty 
of  sheer  officiousness.  It  is  not  the  leader's  prero- 
gative to  hold  others  up  to  the  mark,  breaking  in 
on  their  privacy,  taking  them  to  task  because  they 
do  not  accomplish  more.  This  means  a  hard  life 
for  all  concerned,  a  self -driven,  nervous  life  likely 


Moral  Efficiency  359 

to  end  in  utter  collapse  and  failure.  The  leader's 
part  should  be  to  set  an  example  of  prudence, 
moderation,  and  equanimity,  supported  by  a 
well-trained  organism.  His  privilege  is  to  take  the 
lead  in  such  a  way  as  to  reveal  opportunity  after 
opportunity,  showing  what  glorious  occasions  for 
service  exist  all  about  us.  It  is  his  part  no  doubt 
to  awaken  enthusiasm  and  enlist  co-operative 
activity  to  the  full.  Yet  he  must  know  that 
neither  enthusiasm  nor  loyalty  can  take  the  place 
of  rest  and  sleep,  that  he  is  working  with  and  for 
individuals,  not  a  collection  of  units. 

The  strenuous  coerciveness  of  which  I  speak  no 
doubt  arises  from  a  high  degree  of  conscientious- 
ness. It  indicates  a  noble  moral  standard,  nothing 
short  of  perfection  itself.  But  it  is  largely  mistaken 
in  method,  neglectful  of  the  truth  that  the  moral 
life  cannot  be  forced  but  is  a  growth  that  may  be 
encouraged.  It  undertakes  to  impose  a  standard 
on  people  who  have  not  reflectively  arrived  at 
it  for  themselves.  It  is  exacting,  insistent,  and 
springs  in  part  from  a  mistaken  notion  of  sympathy. 
Since  it  demands  perfection  and  never  finds  it, 
this  attitude  is  one  in  which  nobody  is  approved  of, 
nothing  is  strongly  commended  save  the  goal  that 
cannot  be  attained.  The  result  is  not  only  a  state 
of  continual  nagging  but  a  sort  of  adverse  criticism 
that  runs  over  into  pessimism,  howbeit  its  devo- 
tees believe  they  are  optimists  of  the  true  stamp. 


360  Human  Efficiency 

Thus  it  regards  men  and  women  as  children  who 
are  treated  as  a  fatigued  and  impatient  mother 
treats  her  children  when  she  has  too  much  to  do. 
Its  victims  are  far  more  aware  of  the  wrongs  of  the 
world  than  of  the  forces  that  make  for  righteous- 
ness. Hence  they  substitute  for  knowledge  of 
moral  history  a  purely  local  incentive,  and  in 
place  of  consecration  to  the  moral  law  they  put 
devotion  to  a  particular  cause,  endeavouring  to 
make  out  that  it  is  the  most  important  issue  in  the 
land.  Stronger  in  character  than  their  associates, 
they  usually  hold  out  longer,  hence  appear  to  be 
morally  successful,  and  are  revered  as  models  by 
the  community.  Thus  their  localism  stands  in 
the  way  of  sane  moral  progress. 

Worse  still,  these  supposed  reformers  sometimes 
conceal  commercial  and  other  private  interests 
behind  the  alleged  moral  ideal.  There  is  indeed  a 
close  kinship  between  women  of  this  strenuous 
type  and  men  who  are  typical  representatives  of 
the  hard,  grasping  commercialism  of  the  soul- 
less corporation.  Both  are  below  the  standard  of 
the  modern  principle  of  industrial  efficiency  for,  as 
we  have  seen,  the  principles  of  scientific  manage- 
ment respect  the  rights  and  limitations  of  the 
worker,  substituting  for  the  overbearing  attitude 
that  of  careful  study  of  the  work,  the  worker,  and 
the  conditions  most  favourable  to  all  concerned. 
It  is  plain  that  the  new  principles  are  already  more 


Moral  Efficiency  361 

moral  than  much  that  passes  current  as  moral. 
Unless  our  standard  shall  be  as  comprehensive  and 
fair  as  that  of  industrial  efficiency  those  of  us  who 
are  moral  leaders  might  well  go  to  school  to  learn 
the  new  science  of  business. 

Strictly  speaking,  however,  the  energies  implied 
in,  this  coerciveness  can  become  of  positive  value 
only  so  far  as  these  self-willed  people  are  brought 
to  terms  by  their  own  consciousness.  The  true 
moral  ideal  cannot  be  developed  in  terms  of  the 
will  alone.  There  must  be  genuine  knowledge  of 
the  whole  self  and  of  human  nature.  So  long  as  a 
person  feels  it  necessary  to  hold  himself  and  his 
associates  by  the  magnetic  power  of  will,  he  is  not 
yet  sure  either  of  himself  or  of  his  cause.  One 
whose  cause  is  really  moral  should  know  that 
things  moral  do  not  depend  on  human  wills, 
and  that  righteousness  has  powers  of  its  own. 
The  best  that  each  co-worker  can  give  should 
be  inspired  by  a  higher  incentive  than  that  of  the 
leader's  will.  Each  co-worker  should  be  regard- 
ed as  an  organic  contributor  to  the  moral  group 
in  question.  Each  is  a  child  of  God,  hence  in 
a  measure  a  law  unto  himself,  working  for  God 
and  the  right  above  the  heads  of  leaders  and 
enemies  alike.  Therefore  each  must  have  opportu- 
nity to  become  efficient  in  ways  of  his  own.  The 
moral  spirit  realises  itself  through  men:  it  is  not 
created  and  cannot  be  regulated  by  the  human  will. 


362  Human  Efficiency 

At  best  the  officious  interposer  is  one  who  arouses 
us  in  our  apathy  and  shows  that  changes  in  our 
mode  of  operations  are  imperative.  It  remains  for 
the  more  reflective,  better-poised,  dispassionate 
person  to  take  the  lead.  Thus  one  learns  by  a 
study  of  the  coercively  strenuous  leader  what  not 
to  do,  instead  of  learning  what  one  ought  to  do. 

Again,  moral  negativity  is  seen  in  the  case  of 
hyper-conscientiousness.  This  ordinarily  implies 
an  over-scrupulous  examination  of  motives,  lead- 
ing to  indecision,  weakness  of  will.  But  one  refers 
rather  to  people  who  are  actuated  by  an  undue 
sense  of  obligation,  who  have  a  mistaken  sense  of 
duty.  There  are  those  who  on  principle  choose  the 
more  difficult  of  two  alternatives,  the  hardest  task 
at  hand,  primarily  because  it  is  hardest,  hence — 
though  irksome — a  duty.  Spurred  by  what  is 
supposably  the  best  sort  of  conscience,  these 
people  hold  themselves  to  a  line  of  work  for  which 
they  are  unfit,  convinced  that  they  are  faithful 
to  the  highest  moral  ideal. 

Now,  to  object  to  the  weighing  of  alternatives 
and  the  analysis  of  motives  in  this  extremely  con- 
scientious way  is  not  to  say  that  self-scrutiny 
should  cease  but  that  it  should  be  more  thorough 
and  incisive.  To  be  fundamental  in  such  analysis  is 
to  discover  what  work  one  can  do  best  and  to  pro- 
ceed in  accordance  with  a  purpose  to  fulfil  the  self. 
To  choose  the  hardest  task  on  principle  is  not  to  be 


Moral  Efficiency  363 

conscientious  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,  since 
conscience  rationally  interpreted  bids  us  choose 
the  greater  good.  To  seek  the  greater  good  may 
or  may  not  be  to  do  that  which  is  harder.  Of 
course  there  are  unpleasant  and  difficult  obliga- 
tions which  we  have  assumed  and  which  we  must 
meet  in  order  to  fulfil  our  duty.  But  it  might 
Have  been  possible  to  make  a  wiser  decision  at 
the  outset,  one  which  would  have  enlisted  our 
joy  and  called  our  best  powers  into  activity. 

While  my  work  is  a  task,  while  I  am  compelled 
to  hold  myself  to  it,  I  am  unable  either  to  do  my 
best  for  humanity  or  satisfy  myself.  When  I  am 
doing  my  best  my  energies  act  freely,  and  it  is  not 
necessary  to  remind  myself  at  every  turn  that  I 
am  doing  what  is  right.  When  I  do  my  best  I 
give  even  beyond  what  I  supposably  ought  to  give. 
That  which  I  deeply  and  truly  want  to  do  and  find 
joy  in  doing  is  most  likely  to  be  what  I  ought  to  do, 
what  I  can  do  well  as  a  member  of  human  society, 
possessing  individual  gifts.  Prompted  to  do  the 
work  which  is  peculiarly  my  own,  it  would  be 
wrong  for  me  to  hold  myself  down  to  a  line  of 
work  which  on  mere  theory,  or  because  of  some 
one's  advice,  I  assume  to  be  right  for  me.  That  is 
right  which  enlists  my  full  selfhood  and  enables 
me  to  be  morally  productive  in  high  degree.  A 
mistaken  sense  of  duty  is  the  equivalent  of  constant 
inhibition,  or  a  burden  under  which  a  weary 


364  Human  Efficiency 

labourer  struggles  and  staggers.  The  true  sense 
of  duty  is  not  puritanical,  however  great  the  moral 
vigour  latent  in  the  puritanical  conscience.  What 
is  called  for  is  life,  not  inhibition.  Our  morality 
is  negative  until  it  find  expression  in  eager  joy, 
until  it  bring  peaceful  satisfaction.  No  doubt 
many  of  us  begin  the  moral  life  in  earnest  by  doing 
what  we  believe  we  ought  to  do  in  all  seriousness, 
and  possibly  with  a  keen  sense  of  effort,  since  we  are 
all  victims  of  inertia.  But  to  give  for  love's  sake 
only  is  to  attain  a  much  higher  moral  level. 

The  foregoing  discussions  while  primarily  psy- 
chological have  afforded  much  evidence  that  it  is 
right  to  express  the  self  without  the  puritanical 
disturbances  of  conscience  which  hinder  the  reali- 
sation of  the  type.  Our  plea  for  the  understanding, 
mastery,  and  wise  use  of  energy,  although  essentially 
prudential  may  be  restated  as  a  moral  argument. 
It  is  surely  right  to  overcome  inertias  and  inhi- 
bitions, and  develop  our  powers  to  the  full.  This 
we  have  seen  is  an  ideal  that  evokes  enthusiasm, 
whereas  stern  moral  precepts  suppress  our  ardour. 
We  are  never  satisfied  if,  doing  what  we  take  to  be 
our  duty,  we  have  a  deep  desire  to  be  doing  some- 
thing else  which  we  believe  we  can  do  better. 

We  can  render  no  greater  service  to  our  brothers 
than  to  help  them  to  become  the  individuals  they 
will  to  be,  wholly  content  to  see  them  working  in 
different  fields,  cherishing  beliefs  other  than  our 


Moral  Efficiency  365 

own,  governed  by  different  standards.  Nothing 
is  more  important  for  each  of  us  than  to  be  faithful 
to  the  ideal  as  we  see  it.  Hence  it  is  with  perfect 
right  that  we  grant  to  others  the  freedom  of  self- 
expression,  remaining  tolerant,  charitable,  and 
considerate  to  the  last  degree ;  and  that  we  indivi- 
dually observe  the  conditions  most  favourable  to 
ideal  self-realisation.  To  live  and  let  live  is  the 
duty  of  man.  "The  ascetics  and  the  Puritans 
made  this  great  mistake,"  says  a  recent  writer. 
"They  thought  that  duty  was  doing  what  is  hard 
and  what  you  hate.  The  truth  is  that  duty  is  doing 
what  is  hard  and  what  you  love. "  * 

The  reason  for  this  stern  sense  of  duty  is  found 
in  the  theology  by  which  it  is  inspired.  Doubtless 
many  of  the  sterling  leaders  of  the  world  have 
been  of  Calvinistic  temper,  that  is,  those  who 
upheld  the  moral  law  with  great  vigour.  But  when 
a  follower  endeavours  to  adopt  the  same  attitude 
he  is  apt  to  become  a  devotee  of  authority,  emu- 
lating the  leader  by  engaging  in  good  deeds  from 
a  mere  sense  of  obligation.  Thus  a  man  will  adopt 
a  child,  give  a  large  sum  of  money  to  an  institution, 
or  in  behalf  of  charity,  not  because  of  genuine 
inner  guidance,  nor  because  his  knowledge  shows 
him  what  is  best  for  society.  By  becoming  charit- 
able on  general  principles  one  appears  to  be  adding 

1  E.  L.  Cabot,  Everyday  Ethics,  p.  158.  Mrs.  Cabot's  book  is 
one  of  the  best  on  practical  ethics. 


366  Human  Efficiency 

to  the  sum  of  morality  in  the  world.  The  result  is 
too  apt  to  be  an  increase  of  self -righteousness.  To 
give  in  this  way  is  negative,  and  under  such  con- 
ditions a  man  usually  gives  something  which  he 
can  easily  do  without.  A  positive  gift  is  made 
because  out  of  the  fulness  of  the  heart  one  is 
prompted  to  share,  even  to  give  at  a  sacrifice. 

Again,  theological  considerations  enter  through 
acceptance  of  negative  conceptions  of  the  incarna- 
tion, the  atonement,  or  the  death  on  the  cross. 
If  you  believe  that  Christ  came  and  was  put  to 
death  because  of  the  sorry  plight  of  man,  your 
emphasis  will  be  negative  throughout.  Hence  you 
will  dwell  on  the  uniqueness,  the  exclusiveness  of 
the  incarnation,  rather  than  on  its  universality 
and  on  the  humanity  of  Jesus.  You  will  accordingly 
lay  stress  on  the  death  and  resurrection,  instead  of 
the  life  and  the  glorification.  You  will  say  that  he 
who  "loseth"  his  life  shall  be  saved,  instead  of 
dwelling  on  the  deeper  truth  that  he  who  "finds" 
his  life  is  the  one  who  exemplifies  the  standard. 
Worse  still,  you  will  dwell  on  the  wickedness  of 
man,  painting  the  blackness  of  sin,  instead  of 
pointing  out  that  it  is  righteous  conduct  that 
avails. 

If  we  turn  from  the  teachings  to  the  Master  him- 
self, with  these  clues  in  mind,  the  case  is  still 
clearer.  Jesus  was  by  no  means  a  passive  or 
negative  man.  Although  a  man  of  peace  he  came 


Moral  Efficiency  367 

to  bring  a  sword.  He  stated  principles  which 
brought  divisions  among  his  hearers  from  the 
first.  He  inculcated  a  positive  series  of  precepts, 
lived  according  to  them  himself,  and  was  constant 
unto  the  end.  He  did  not  meet  death  as  a  disap- 
pointed prophet,  a  supposed  regal  Messiah  who 
had  failed  to  establish  his  kingdom.  No  such 
power  could  have  gone  forth  from  him  had  this  been 
the  case.  His  death  was  not  a  sacrifice  but  a 
victory.  He  valiantly  stood  by  his  faith  to  the 
uttermost,  taking  the  course  which  seemed  neces- 
sary to  send  forth  victorious  power  into  the  world. 
Hence  the  moral  doctrine  which  is  founded  on  his 
teaching  should  be  positive  and  constructive  if 
true  to  his  leadership. 

These  considerations  lead  us  to  a  fresh  estimate 
of  another  moral  principle  frequently  discussed, 
namely,  self-sacrifice.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  no  one 
is  ever  really  satisfied  with  the  usual  treatment  of 
this  subject.  It  is  never  convincingly  shown,  even 
by  the  greatest  of  moral  philosophers,  that  self- 
sacrifice  is  wholly  good.  It  is  ordinarily  spoken 
of  with  apologies.  It  is  a  "sad  necessity,"  some 
say,  a  "glorious  madness,"  involving  a  leap  in  the 
dark.  It  is  eulogised  as  the  noblest  element  in  the 
moral  life,  and  then  its  eulogists  tell  of  the  tre- 
mendous mistakes  made  by  its  devotees.  To  be 
wholly  given  over  to  it  is  to  be  one-sided,  weak, 
self -suppressed.  Strangely  enough  it  tends  to  run 


368  Human  Efficiency 

over  into  selfishness,  so  that  the  mother,  for  ex- 
ample who  has  been  praised  as  its  ideal  representa- 
tive becomes  its  taskmaster,  exacting  even  greater 
sacrifices  from  the  growing  generation.  The 
typical  case  is  that  of  the  woman  who  works 
labouriosly  to  send  her  daughter  to  college,  and 
who  expects  her  daughter  to  give  up  a  promising 
career  and  settle  down  in  an  outgrown  village  as 
her  companion  and  servant.  Another  typical 
case  is  that  of  the  young  man  of  promise  who 
wishes  to  marry  and  make  a  home  of  his  own,  but 
who  is  supposed  to  take  care  of  parents  who  are 
inferior  in  quality  and  power.  Then  there  are  the 
sacrifices  a  reformer  makes  for  a  cause,  the  sac- 
rifices of  a  religious  devotee  who  would  like  to  be  a 
scholar.  In  many  of  these  cases  we  cannot  help 
believing  that  the  higher  good  is  given  up  for  the 
lower.  The  world  needs  the  best  each  can  give, 
especially  from  people  of  power  and  worth.  Only 
now  and  then  are  we  able  to  say  unqualifiedly 
that  the  sacrifice  was  right. 

Is  not  this  difficulty  a  confession  that  we  have 
not  apprehended  the  moral  spirit  on  its  positive 
side?  If  we  could  somehow  state  the  moral  purpose 
in  a  given  case  in  terms  of  consecration  to  a 
worthy  end,  we  might  be  able  to  gain  new  insight 
into  the  alleged  sacrifice.  A  moral  ideal  is  ne- 
cessarily selective,  but  what  is  given  up  is  not  the 
crucial  consideration.  They  are  best  able  to  work 


Moral  Efficiency  369 

positively  who  could  yield  most,  give  up  most. 
That  is,  they  have  large  capacity  in  many  direc- 
tions, could  respond  to  numerous  demands,  could 
sacrifice  their  powers.  But  instead  they  inhibit, 
check,  conquer.  Therefore  it  is  what  they  really  do 
accomplish  that  avails,  as  in  the  case  of  a  minister 
\%ho  might  have  been  a  lawyer,  could  have  devoted 
himself  to  money-getting,  but  who  through  his 
spiritual  activities  realises  his  higher  selfhood. 
The  real  question  therefore  turns  about  the  choice 
of  the  greater  good.  This  is  most  likely  to  be  in 
line  with  the  larger  self-realisation  which  gives 
genuine  satisfaction.  What  is  needed  is  a  scale  of 
moral  values  by  which  to  discover  the  greater 
good. 

Still  another  illustration  of  an  essentially 
negative  attitude  is  found  in  the  views  ordinarily 
held  in  regard  to  non-resistance.  The  command 
to  refrain  from  resisting  evil  is  either  rejected  as 
wholly  impractical  or  is  relegated  to  those 
poor  misguided  mortals  who  fashion  their  lives 
after  an  Oriental  model  and  thereby  supposably 
become  passive.  But  he  truly  practises  non-re- 
sistance who  on  occasion  could  contend  outwardly 
with  great  power.  He  is  free  to  resist  or  not 
according  to  his  guidance.  Because  free  and 
strong  he  has  the  power  to  refrain  from  giving 
blow  for  blow;  and  instead  returns  love,  tenderness, 
sympathy,  considerateness.  Master  of  his  powers, 
24 


37°  Human  Efficiency 

he  is  able  to  give  expression  to  the  one  that  will 
bring  the  larger  moral  consequence.  He  depends 
on  the  silent,  interior  forces — the  greatest  forces 
in  the  world.  His  attitude  is  positive  in  a  far 
greater  degree  than  that  of  the  man  who  gives  a 
tooth  for  a  tooth  and  an  eye  for  an  eye.  When 
I  love  my  enemies,  when  I  am  grateful  even  under 
persecution  then  indeed  have  I  begun  to  be  moral. 
Finally,  an  essentially  negative  attitude  is 
manifested  by  those  who  give  free  play  to  general 
zeal  in  behalf  of  humanity.  This  usually  means 
the  laudation  of  the  common  types,  the  celebra- 
tion of  everything  that  is  elemental  in  human 
nature,  the  unqualified  praise  of  people  who  have 
no  standard.  The  result  is  that  the  leadership 
of  the  best  is  forgotten  or  ignored,  and  mere  demo- 
cracy becomes  the  ideal.  This  point  of  view  is 
usually  advocated  by  reactionists  who  do  not 
yet  understand  what  they  are  reacting  against. 
They  are  people  who  abound  in  thoughts  but 
who  have  no  thought.  Able  to  make  brilliant 
sallies  of  wit  and  learning,  they  utter  many  telling 
remarks,  some  of  which  strike  home  with  great 
force  and  do  a  reformative  work  in  the  world. 
We  need  these  vigorous  wits  to  shake  us  out  of 
our  conservative  moods.  But  to  take  their 
alternative  seriously  would  be  to  adopt  a  dead- 
levelism.  The  merely  elemental  in  our  nature,  the 
Whitmanesque,  carries  us  no  arther  than  emo- 


Moral  Efficiency  371 

tional  expression,  or  mere  self -utterance.  Without 
a  standard,  life  easily  degenerates  into  sensuality 
and  the  commonplace .  Hence  the  merely  elemental 
man  is  a  negative  factor  in  human  society,  one  who 
rejoices  in  the  mere  openness  of  the  road  on  which 
he  travels,  the  freedom  from  constraint,  the 
departure  from  conventionality.  In  contrast 
with  this,  the  genuinely  moral  man  realises  that 
freedom  is  indeed  nothing  to  boast  of,  since  he 
would  fain  be  bound  once  for  all  to  the  life  of 
righteousness.  The  moral  world  is  very  far  from 
being  an  elemental  plain  in  which  one  thing  is  as 
good  as  another;  it  is  topped  by  a  mountain  of 
endeavour  in  which  the  alternatives  ever  grow 
less  as  greater  heights  are  attained. 

All  these  cases  involve  elements  of  permanent 
value — the  strenuous  moral  zeal  that  needs  to  be 
tempered,  the  profound  sense  of  duty  of  the  one 
who  is  over-conscientious,  the  insistence  on  law 
of  the  Calvinist,  the  devotion  implied  in  self- 
sacrifice,  the  love  for  humanity  of  those  who 
eulogise  the  elemental.  Can  we  restate  all  these 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  preserve  them?  Yes,  in 
terms  of  moral  efficiency  through  social  self-realisa- 
tion. This  means,  in  the  first  place,  a  full  and 
frank  return  to  the  Greek  moral  conception,  that 
virtue  is  natural.  For  it  is  man  in  his  manifoldness 
who  shall  become  moral.  It  is  truly  right  for  me 
to  cultivate  all  sides  of  my  nature,  to  express  my- 


372  Human  Efficiency 

self  to  the  full,  live  the  complete  life.  To  do  this 
I  must  know  and  organise  all  my  powers,  so  that 
virtue  may  become  a  habit,  may  bring  peace  and 
satisfaction.  I  must  know  myself  well  enough  to 
see  what  I  can  do  best,  having  first  learned  what 
I  can  do  and  what  I  cannot  do.  Having  made 
these  discoveries  it  behooves  me  to  take  care  of 
myself  so  as  to  be  able  to  contribute  my  best  on 
all  occasions. 

Happiness  is  surely  one  of  the  tests  of  this  moral 
ideal :  to  this  extent  the  Hedonist  is  right.  Pleasure 
is  not  the  good,  cannot  be  an  end  in  itself,  yet  if  I 
do  not  have  joy  in  my  work,  if  I  do  not  foster 
happiness  and  permit  my  associates  to  take 
satisfaction  in  their  work,  I  am  not  fully  moral. 
If  the  moral  zealot  is  ordinarily  too  severe  the 
Hedonist  is  too  lax.  Happiness  is  the  rightful 
accompaniment  of  the  moral  life,  and  is  most 
likely  to  be  added  to  moral  conduct  when  that 
conduct  springs  from  the  spontaneous  desire  to 
give  full  measure  running  over,  in  contrast  with 
mere  work  for  duty's  sake.  He  who  maintains  his 
organism  in  a  morally  efficient  condition  is  likely 
to  be  happy  and  to  arouse  happiness  in  others. 
The  life  of  feeling  has  a  rightful  place  inasmuch 
as  feeling  is  a  part  of  our  nature.  The  moral  ideal 
which  brings  genuine  satisfaction  is  manifold  in 
type,  taking  its  clue  from  the  manifoldness  of 
human  nature.  The  ancient  motto,  "nothing 


Moral  Efficiency  373 

to  excess, "  applies  as  necessarily  to  one  side  of  our 
nature  as  to  another.  Hence  there  is  as  good 
reason  to  guard  against  intellectualism  as  to  avoid 
overdoing  the  element  of  pleasure. 

It  may  be  objected  that  the  thought  required 
to  keep  the  organism  in  prime  condition,  to  hus- 
l^and  energy  here  and  organise  it  there,  involves 
an  impeding  self-consciousness ;  for  who  wishes  to 
guard  his  actions  every  moment  lest  he  spend  his 
energies  in  excess?  If  we  give  so  much  time  to 
self- training  are  we  not  likely  in  the  end  to  develop 
a  new  form  of  self-centredness?  In  contrast  with 
this  painful  process,  to  be  moral  is  to  work  with  a 
will,  forgetting  oneself  in  loyal  service. 

The  reply  has  been  given  in  an  earlier  chapter, 
that  is,  it  is  not  necessary  to  watch  the  play  of 
energy  every  minute  lest  one  overdraw  the  supply. 
Power  is  acquired  through  use,  and  what  we  are 
pleading  for  is  fulness  of  life,  for  the  right  of  every 
side  of  our  nature  to  have  its  place,  to  play  its 
part  and  become  thoroughly  moral.  There  is  no 
single  power,  quality,  faculty,  or  organ  that  is 
exclusively  moral,  or  even  authoritatively  so.  To 
be  moral  is  to  be  a  person  in  the  complete  sense  of 
the  word,  not  to  set  a  single  faculty  apart  as  hard 
taskmaster  over  the  rest.  Conscience  shall  enter 
into  every  part  of  our  being,  transfiguring  all  that 
is  in  us.  It  is  fulness  of  life,  we  insist,  not  severe 
meagreness,  that  is  desirable.  This  is  the  truth  in 


374  Human  Efficiency 

the  contentions  of  those  who  plead  for  democracy 
in  the  moral  realm,  who  insist  that  one  thing  is  as 
good  as  another.  Everything  is  indeed  moral, 
or  may  become  so :  what  is  needed  is  the  organising 
system  of  a  scale  of  values.  Things,  qualities,  and 
powers  are  good  in  relation,  in  their  right  place.1 
Hence  we  insist  that  there  can  be  no  morality 
without  order.  In  fact,  morality  is  orderliness, 
not  only  the  possession  but  the  realisation  of  an 
organising  system. 

Now,  who  can  rightly  organise  and  apportion 
the  various  tendencies  of  his  nature  without  giving 
a  certain  degree  of  attention  to  the  powers  that  are 
active  within  him  and  to  the  consequences  which 
their  exercise  entails?  Who  if  he  would  be  thor- 
oughly moral  can  do  aught  less  than  to  give  heed 
enough  to  the  nature  and  scope  of  his  energies 
to  maintain  his  organism  in  prime  condition  for 
efficient  service?  It  were  better  to  begin  as  one 
can  hold  out.  Therefore  we  insist  that  to  be  moral 
is  to  attain  a  condition  of  mental  and  physical 
efficiency.  This  calls  for  more  analysis  and  self- 
consciousness  at  a  certain  stage  of  the  moral 
journey,  but  the  immediate  object  is  to  make 
virtue  a  habit.  The  more  we  give  our  activities 
over  to  wisely  acquired  habits  the  more  power  we 
should  have  freely  to  give  ourselves  to  the  interest 

1  See  Professor  G.  H.  Palmer's  The  Nature  of  Goodness,  Hough- 
ton,  Mifflin  and  Co, 


Moral  Efficiency  375 

at  hand.  We  are  not  proposing  that  human  loyal- 
ties shall  be  bestowed  at  random  but  upon  ends 
that  are  really  worth  while. 

Self-sacrifice  is  good,  we  still  say  in  accordance 
with  this  ideal  of  moral  efficiency,  but  we  prefer 
to  call  it  devotion  or  consecration.  It  is  what  I  do, 
what  I  give,  that  avails.  If  I  give  of  my  full  self, 
calling  all  my  powers  into  exercise,  I  shall  not 
give  much  thought  to  that  which  I  give  up  or 
abstain  from.  The  probability  is  that  the  poten- 
tialities which  might  have  made  me  a  man  of 
affairs,  an  artist,  a  scholar,  or  what  not,  will  be 
called  into  expression  through  this  my  chosen 
mode  of  life,  apparently  so  far  from  the  world  of 
my  earlier  ambitions.  Whatever  I  am,  I  shall 
find  exercise  for  the  fulness  of  my  powers  provided 
I  find  a  mode  of  life  that  calls  me  out  at  my  best. 
For  one  is  made  morally  efficient,  not  from  behind 
but  from  above,  when  an  absorbing  purpose  en- 
lists all  that  is  within. 

Of  far  more  consequence,  then,  than  the  self- 
consciousness  required  to  make  my  organism 
efficient,  or  the  sacrifice  through  which  I  become 
unselfish,  is  the  absorbing  interest  which  inspires 
me  to  do  my  best.  Called  into  action  by  this  I 
shall  not  mind  either  the  time  or  the  pain  involved 
in  the  years  of  preparation.  If  I  sacrifice  myself  I 
shall  scarcely  know  it.  What  I  need  is  the  moral 
incentive  which  shall  make  a  man  of  me,  call  me 


376  Human  Efficiency 

into  fulness  of  being.  It  is  a  great  help  in  the  pro- 
gress towards  this  larger  life  to  conclude  that  it  is 
right  for  me  to  do  what  I  want  to,  right  for  me 
to  be  happy,  right  to  be  young  and  spontaneous, 
right  to  be  and  to  express  rather  than  to  check  and 
to  give  up.  For  there  need  be  no  conflict  between 
what  I  deeply  will  to  be  and  what  I  ought  to  be, 
between  self-realisation,  and  service.  What  I  pro- 
foundly want  to  be  and  to  do,  if  I  really  know  my- 
self, is  at  once  what  I  can  do  best  and  that  by  means 
of  which  I  can  most  truly  serve.  I  can  actually  be 
both  a  Greek  and  a  Christian,  realising  Plato's 
ideal  of  aesthetic  order  among  the  virtues  and 
imbuing  the  Greek  form  of  virtue  with  the  Chris- 
tian spirit.  At  heart  I  am  already  a  moral  being. 
I  do  not  know  myself  until  I  thus  apprehend  my- 
self as  moral,  a  being  in  whom  order  may  prevail 
to  the  highest  degree,  who  may  at  once  serve  and 
have  a  joyfully  good  time  in  the  mere  fact  of 
existence. 

We  no  longer  say  that  the  nature  of  the  finite 
will  is  to  assert  itself  selfishly,  that  in  itself  it  is 
evil.  Agreeing  rather  with  Socrates  we  declare 
that  man  sins  through  ignorance,  since  the  will 
is  not  in  itself  evil.  The  power  within  us  which 
wil  s  to  go  ahead,  have  a  good  time  regardless  of 
others  and  of  consequences,  is  precisely  the  power 
which,  when  lifted  up,  when  accompanied  by 
enlightenment,  enables  us  to  be  unitary  moral 


Moral  Efficiency  377 

beings.  Man  is  not  born  unregenerate,  he  is 
moral  and  arrives  at  moral  self-consciousness. 
What  is  needed  is  that  profound  self-knowledge 
which  shall  show  that  the  interests  of  self  and  of 
humanity  are  one.  As  a  self  I  am  inevitably  and 
for  ever  tied  in  with  my  fellows.  What  I  sincerely 
want  can  be  mine  only  in  case  I  make  the  utmost 
of  the  social  relationships  which  in  my  ignorance 
appeared  to  be  weights  and  chains. 

Finally,  in  this  ideal  of  self-realisation  through 
moral  efficiency  there  is  a  real  remedy  for  the 
officiousness  referred  to  above,  and  for  all  anxiety 
and  impatience.  When  I  realise  that  the  moral 
spirit  is  greater  than  the  life  of  the  individual,  more 
extensive  than  the  social  group  or  than  any  insti- 
tution, I  learn  that  it  is  not  dependent  on  me  or 
upon  my  immediate  associates.  Rome  is  large  and 
there  are  many  roads  leading  to  it.  My  road  may 
be  a  very  good  one  but  I  have  no  right  to  be  exclu- 
sive. I  may  well  make  the  utmost  of  it,  calling 
attention  to  its  points  of  excellence.  But  the  real 
consideration  is  the  end  that  is  being  attained 
through  all  the  roads.  To  be  anxious  were  to 
forget  that  the  right  is  universal,  that  God  is 
still  in  His  world.  I  may  not  see  how  the  right 
can  be  achieved  by  a  route  so  circuitous  as  my 
neighbours',  but  my  first  interest  should  be  to 
acquaint  myself  with  his  strange  road,  to  welcome 
and  seek  to  know  my  neighbour  as  a  human  being 


378  Human  Efficiency 

who  is  probably  as  nearly  moral  as  I  am,  remember- 
ing that  truly  to  know  any  man  is  to  gain  insight 
into  his  purpose. 

Does  the  acceptance  of  this  standard  seem  to 
deprive  us  of  all  reason  for  zeal,  now  that  we  have 
discovered  that  man  is  at  heart  moral,  that  the 
balance  of  power  in  human  nature  is  in  the  right- 
eous direction?  No,  what  it  takes  from  us  is  the 
anxious,  officious,  overbearing  tendency  which 
makes  moral  theory  and  moral  reform  obnoxious. 
When  instead  of  hounding  our  neighbours  to  be 
good,  calling  them  to  judgment,  and  aristocrati- 
cally condemning  them,  we  set  about  being 
exemplary  moral  individuals,  making  the  best  use 
of  our  powers,  the  chances  are  that  we  shall  make 
real  headway.  If  nothing  succeeds  like  success, 
surely  no  triumph  is  more  inspiring  than  the  moral 
victory.  To  be  moral,  I  insist,  is  not  to  be  dis- 
agreeable, autocratic,  dry,  but  to  be  a  well-molded, 
joyous  person  abounding  in  life.  Of  course  no  one 
likes  dry  aphorisms  and  moralisations.  What  we 
like  is  life  and  life  in  its  integrity  includes  the 
moral  law,  is  founded  on  it.  What  we  object  to  is 
an  abstraction,  a  reform  or  principle  for  its  own 
sake.  We  want  a  true  human  being  who  has  all  the 
impulses  and  encounters  all  the  temptations.  It  is 
through  fulness  of  life,  through  exercise  and 
expression  that  a  way  out  of  and  beyond  our 
temptations  shall  be  found. 


Moral  Efficiency  379 

"Neither  do  I  condemn  thee,  go  and  sin  no 
more,"  is  the  word  of  the  really  efficient  moral 
teacher.  For  he  sees  through  the  sin  to  the  heart, 
the  moral  selfhood  struggling  into  fulness  of  life. 
To  be  condemned  to  sin  no  more  is  at  once  the 
severest  and  the  most  encouraging  punishment. 
If,  springs  from  righteous  judgment  and  sets  a 
high  standard  for  the  discerning.  Hence  the 
possibilities  of  service  are  increased  a  hundred- 
fold. Never  again  can  we  indulge  in  the  usual 
estimates  or  put  up  with  ordinary  methods  of 
reform.  We  have  passed  far  beyond  the  conven- 
tional scheme  of  salvation  or  regeneration  to  the 
discovery  of  the  soul  with  which  man  is  really 
born.  Now  and  forevermore  it  is  incumbent  on 
us  to  penetrate  to  the  heart,  calling  the  struggling 
moral  ego  into  more  complete  self-possession. 

Even  he,  this  supremely  efficient  moral  leader, 
found  it  important  to  withdraw  from  the  crowd, 
sometimes  alone  with  the  disciples,  sometimes  a 
few  chosen  ones  among  them,  again  wholly  alone. 
Even  he,  with  all  his  insight  and  power,  indulged 
in  prayer,  thereby  making  himself  ready  in  order 
that  the  supreme  end  might  be  attained.  With- 
out this  self-preservation  and  increased  efficiency 
Jesus  would  hardly  have  attained  his  end.  Here 
we  have  concentration,  devotion,  carried  to  the 
limit,  with  a  power  that  excludes  all  else.  But 
here  too  we  have  personality  realising  its  heights, 


380  Human  Efficiency 

its  depths,  and  beauties.  With  a  compassion  and  a 
pathos  unsurpassed  in  history  the  Master  enters 
into  the  life  of  those  around  him,  unstintedly 
giving  of  himself,  considering  each  person's  need 
as  if  he  alone  stood  in  want.  All  the  rigorousness 
of  the  moral  law  is  there  too,  and  one  sees  where 
the  strenuous  leaders  derived  their  zeal.  But  the 
Master  has  too  often  been  emulated  in  form  to  the 
neglect  of  the  spirit.  There  is  one  word  which 
changes  the  whole  matter  and  transfigures  life 
beyond  estimate  and  that  word  is  love.  Love  is 
not  the  law  but  its  fulfilment  and  the  law  should 
not  be  made  paramount,  coercive.  When  driven 
home  as  the  officious  zealots  employ  it  what  is 
really  paramount  is  the  self  of  the  one  who  lashes 
his  victims  with  puritanical  fervour.  It  were 
better  to  be  a  mere  pagan  with  his  supposably 
"gilded  vices"  known  to  fame  as  "splendid  sins" 
than  to  pursue  people  in  this  terrible  fashion. 
This  indeed  is  sin,  that  is,  the  assertion  of  the 
particular  over  against  the  universal.  But  what  we 
want  is  love  and  love  recognises,  does  not  pass  by 
on  the  other  side,  love  calls  into  being,  is  considerate 
tender,  kind. 

One  need  not  preach,  one  need  not  plead  when 
love  is  found.  Our  sermons  are  too  frequently 
confessions  that  we  have  naught  to  give,  our 
arguments  admissions  that  we  cannot  give  a 
valid  reason.  When  we  possess  love  there  is 


Moral  Efficiency  381 

nothing  further  to  say.  Love  is  its  own  evidence, 
is  all-compelling.  When  love  sends  us  apart  from 
the  multitude  it  is  with  a  reason  so  good  that  we 
need  never  question  the  time  consecrated  to  pre- 
paration. If  we  love  we  will  serve  and  if  we  love 
we  will  realise  the  self.  Love  alone  gives  satis- 
faction and  love  alone  makes  one  fully  efficient. 
It  is  love  that  makes  happiness  and  love  that 
bestows  it.  Only  through  love  does  life  attain  the 
moral  goal  and  pass  beyond  it  into  the  larger  life 
of  the  Spirit.  That  is  to  say,  the  forms  are  finite, 
the  moral  law  makes  us  aware  of  bounds,  but  when 
we  are  free  we  share  the  life  of  the  infinite  Spirit, 
and  this  we  supremely  share  through  love.  The 
moral  ideal  as  matter  of  form  is  stated  at  its  best 
in  terms  of  self-realisation  through  social  efficiency, 
and  is  essentially  Grecian  in  type;  it  is  love  which 
saves  it  from  being  merely  an  ideal  of  individual 
culture,  and  love  at  its  highest  is  of  the  Christian 
type — the  love  in  which  the  human  is  made  one 
with  the  divine,  in  which  self-will  is  lifted  up  into 
complete  obedience  to  the  imbuing  power  of  the 
Spirit. 

Thus  our  study  of  human  efficiency  reaches  its 
culminating  point.  For  the  most  part,  we  have 
pursued  this  study  with  the  efficiency  of  the  individ- 
ual in  mind.  But  it  is  as  impossible  to  regard 
the  individual  by  himself  as  to  learn  the  nature 
of  the  will  apart  from  reason.  Human  nature  is 


382  Human  Efficiency 

established  on  a  co-operative  basis  in  a  two-fold 
respect ;  the  mind  exists  as  a  co-operation  of  powers 
such  as  perception,  feeling,  will,  reason;  and  the 
individual  is  a  unit  in  a  larger  whole.  The  first 
problem  is  to  attain  the  right  adjustment  between 
the  various  powers  within  us,  so  that  worthy 
incentives  shall  inspire  us,  while  reason  controls 
every  activity  according  to  its  value;  the  second 
is  to  adjust  ourselves  to  our  fellows  so  as  to  con- 
tribute our  share  of  work  and  service  yet  attain 
self-realisation.  Some  writers  maintain  that  the 
right  social  adjustment  must  come  first  before  the 
individual  can  find  his  rightful  place.  We  main- 
tain that  if  the  individual  begins  by  becoming 
efficient  according  to  his  type,  he  will  be  in  the 
best  position  to  approach  the  larger  question. 

It  is  not  possible  in  this  volume  to  plead  for 
this  ideal  of  co-operation,  or  even  to  justify  the 
moral  ideal  of  self-realisation  in  full  measure.1 
Suffice  it  that  in  the  modern  movement  towards 
individual  efficiency  a  principle  of  co-operation  is 
implied  which  makes  it  far  more  promising  than 

1  The  ethical  ideal  here  advocated  is  similar  in  many  respects 
to  that  of  the  recent  ethical  idealists.  For  an  introduction  to 
ethics  see  the  following,  in  the  order  named:  The  Field  of  Ethics, 
by  G.  H.  Palmer;  MacKenzie's  A  Manual  of  Ethics,  or  Muir- 
head's  Elements  of  Ethics;  Palmer's  The  Nature  of  Goodness. 
These  volumes  contain  excellent  references  to  the  literature  of  the 
subject.  See  also  J.  Seth's  Ethical  Principles.  McCunn's, 
The  Making  of  Character,  is  one  of  the  best  books  on  practical 
ethics. 


Moral  Efficiency  383 

most  of  the  schemes  for  social  reform.  With  this 
ideal  in  view,  there  is  no  longer  any  reason  for 
waiting  until  the  present  economic  order  is  changed. 
Nor  need  we  long  concern  ourselves  with  general 
questions  such  as  that  raised  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  Why  is  it  that  love  has  not  yet  conquered? 
There  is  in  fact  no  reason  for  any  sort  of  delay 
when  it  is  a  question  of  efficiency.  If  I  learn  the 
nature  and  power  of  reason  and  begin  to  be  more 
rational,  I  shall  be  able  to  do  my  part  to  bring  the 
age  of  reason  into  being.  If,  realising  the  scope 
and  efficiency  of  love,  I  seriously  undertake  to 
order  my  life  in  such  a  way  that  it  shall  manifest 
love,  true  enduring  love,  I  shall  be  preparing  for 
love's  fulfilment  in  the  race.  All  that  is  needed  is 
that  each  shall  endeavour  to  do  his  part,  beginning 
at  home,  seeking  to  give  rather  than  to  get,  to 
co-operate  rather  than  to  control.  Hitherto  we 
have  not  devoted  time  enough  to  the  science  of 
life.  It  is  time  now  for  each  to  begin  by  noting  his 
own  powers,  their  sources,  tendencies,  and  eli- 
gibility. The  more  we  know  about  ourselves  the 
more  able  we  shall  be  to  study  and  endeavour  to 
improve  society.  He  who  is  deeply  concerned  to 
make  himself  as  efficient  as  possible  will  have  little 
time  to  indulge  in  adverse  criticism,  anger,  hatred, 
and  complaint.  It  is  within  the  power  of  every  one 
of  us  to  contribute  to  the  science  of  human 
society  by  thus  making  the  utmost  of  ourselves. 


INDEX 


Agassiz,  73 

American  Magazine,  18,  130 
Ancient  remains,  268 
Aristotle,  311 

Attention,  64,  72,  77,  87,  91, 
103  f.,  227,  241 

Begbie,  348 
Bennett,  94 
Bergson,  320 
Black,  Hugh,  85 
Browning,  330 
Buckham,  35 

Business,  the  science  of,  2  £., 
18,24 

Cabot,  365 
Calkins,  53 
Calvinism,  365,  371 
Carpenter,  101,  197,  222 
Character,  34,  121,  151,  187, 

198,  234  f. 
China,  213 

Concentration,  71  f.,  92,  206 
Conscience,  69,  74,   118,  149, 

250,  362  f . 
Consciousness,  48, 54, 103, 117, 

122 

Control,  15,  37,  53,  73,  93,  125, 
129  f.,  209;  of  energy,  153 

Co-operation,  3  f.,  178,  361, 
382 

Co-ordination,  n,  71  f.,  108 


Desire,  33,  64,  76,  78  f.,  218 


385 


Disposition,  35,  59,  76,  208, 
234  f- 

Education,  13, 16,34, 128, 134, 
281 

Efficiency,  i,  6,  27,  129;  in- 
dustrial, 2  f.,  14;  domestic, 
7, 42, 177  £.,276;  commercial, 
7,  360;  individual,  9,  361; 
vocational,  13;  moral,  15,  44, 
353  f-5  psychological,  21  f.; 
quantitative,  23;  basis  of, 
29  f.;  through  mastery,  38, 
93, 130  f.;  concentration  and, 
71  f.,  107,  140;  education 
and,  128  f.;  work  and,  160 
f.;  elements  of,  183;  of  will, 
185  f.;  character  and,  216; 
growth  in,  240;  heart  of, 
242;  through  freedom,  273 
f.;  intellectual,  304  f.;  love 
and,  347;  spiritual,  381 

Efficient  man,  the,  29  f.,  90, 
144,  221,  231  f.,  278  f. 

Efficient  woman,  the,  178  f., 
276 

Efficient  worker,  the,  175,  183 

Effort,  64,  198 

Emerson,  43,  66,  284,  323 

Emotion,  69,  81,  252,  329 

Energy,  15,  32,  41,  53,  128  f., 
179.  373!  defined,  151 

Engine,  2,  6 

Engineer,  40 

Enterprise,  225 


386 


Index 


Enthusiasm,  83,  146 
Ethics,  12,  382 

Fatigue,  130  f.,  167 
Feeling,  49,  in,  252,  302 
Folks,  H.,  1 86 
Freedom,  274  £.,371 
Friendship,  282 

God,  109,  252,  294  f.,  312 
Good,  the,  354  f. 
Guidance,  156,  223,  269 
Gulick,  37 

Habit,  31,  101,  106 
Happiness,  373 
Heart,  the,  109,  in,  251 
Hegel,  292,  319 
Housewife,  the,  176  f. 
Hudson,  in 
Human,  276 

Imagination,  84 
Immediate,  the,  no,  272 
Inefficiency,  42,  94,  228 
Inhibition,  75,  80,  209 
Inner  light,  the,  254 
Insight,  62,  244  f. 
Intellect,  269,  302  f. 
Intuition,   69,    105,    in,    145, 
248,  250,  257,  337 

James,  iv,  vii,  52,  53,  94,  130, 

147,  195,  199,  211,  319 
Jesus,  288,  366,  379 

Kant,  291,  319 

Lee,  F.  S.,  136 
Life,  217 
Lincoln,  77,  234 
Lowell,  330 

McCunn,  243,  382 
Meyers,  114 


Mind  and  body,  51,  58,  93, 

loo  f.,  129  f. 
Moral  fire,  151 
Moral  ideals,  355  f. 

New  England  conscience,  149 
Non-resistance,  369 
Normal,  57,  65 

Orthodox,  289 
Ossory,  Bishop  of,  99 

Palmer,  40,  324,  374,  382 

Payot,  197 

Philos.  of  the  Spirit,  The,  viii, 

272,  312,  320 
Plato,  157.311,333,376 
Process,  54,  62  f. 
Psychology,  17  f.,  46  f.,  116, 

202 
Purpose,  38,  75,  88  f.,  146,  166 

Qualitative,  24,  170,  176,  216 
Quantitative,  2,  23 

Reason,  69,  133,  249,  258,  298 
Religion,  viii,  287 
Reserves,  130  f. 
Revelation,  304 
Roosevelt,  234 
Royce,  53 

Scientific  management,  4  f.,  18, 

178,  360 

Scientific  method,  the,  309  f. 
Second  wind,  130,  147 
Self,  53,  65,  109,  115,  236 
Self-coerciveness,  356  f. 
Self-control,  50  f . 
Self-realisation,    34,    45,    129, 

148,  164  f.,  294,  364,  377 
Self-sacrifice,  367,  375 
Sensation,  55,  74 
Socrates,  71,  311,  376 
Soul,  100,  in 
Spirit,  the,  109,  251 


Index 


387 


Stream  of  thought,  52,  55  f., 

103,  122,  217 
Stubbs,  J.  C.,  233 
Subconscious  mind,  50,  86,  97 

f.,  loo  f. 

Subjective,  100,  in 
Subliminal,  98,  114 
Success,  10,  16,  75,  77,  90,  94, 

213  f. 
Suggestion,  68,  85,  97,  1 08,  153 

rTaylor,  F.  W.,  4,  6,  18,  19 
Thought,  61,  65,  105 
Time,  6,  24,  171,  176,  179 
Time-planner,  5,  16 

Unconscious   cerebration,   98, 
1 01,  120, 222 


Use  and  disuse,  226 

Vocational  training,  II,  13, 
161,  184,  243 

Will,  38,  54,  64,  74  f.,  153; 
origin  of,  96;  power  of,  188; 
obstinate,  191;  weak,  193, 
238;  nature  of,  199  f.;  theo- 
logical view  of,  20 1 ;  psycho- 
logical view,  202  f.; concen- 
tration and,  206;  inhibition 
and,  209;  success  and,  241; 
intellect  and,  299;  love  and, 

335 

Woman,  178  f.,  276 
Work,  5, 39  f.,  138,  i6of.,358, 

363 


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Human  Efficiency 

A  Psychological  Study  of  Modern  Problems 

CONTENTS. — Efficiency  as  an  Ideal;  The  Basis  of  Efficiency; 
The  Psychological  Point  of  View;  Mental  Co-ordination;  Sub- 
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Human  Work;  The  Efficient  Will;  Success;  Insight;  A  Law 
unto  Oneself;  The  Nature  and  Scope  of  Reason;  The  Law  of 
Love;  Moral  Efficiency. 

In  this  volume  Dr.  Dresser  discusses  the  nature  and  scope  of 
man's  powers  with  reference  to  the  new  movement  now  attracting 
widespread  attention,  that  is,  the  interest  in  efficiency  and  the 
principles  of  scientific  management.  Unlike  Taylor  and  other 
leaders  of  the  new  movement,  the  author  regards  efficiency  not 
merely  from  a  commercial  or  industrial  point  of  view,  but  in  the 
light  of  the  conditions  and  agencies  which  further  the  development 
of  human  life  at  its  best.  Admitting  that  practical  considerations 
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be  settled  by  reference  to  quantitative  standards  alone,  hence  it  is 
not  merely  a  question  of  time  or  of  money.  Indeed  he  points  out 
that  the  more  emphasis  is  placed  on  time-schedules  ana  financial 
values  the  more  important  it  is  to  consider  the  problem  of  the 
nature,  conservation,  and  wise  use  of  our  energies.  Hence  the 
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of  such  topics  as  concentration,  mental  co-ordination,  and  the  will. 
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The  aim  of  the  author  has  been  to  put  the  inquirer  in  posses- 
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various  popular  therapeutic  doctrines  of  the  day,  and  select  the 
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.ial;  The  Channels  of  the  Spirit;  The  Immediacy  of  the  Spirit;  The  Value  of 
Intuition;  A  Study  of  the  Emotions;  The  Value  of  Feeling;  The  Import  of 
Immediacy;  An  Estimate  of  Mysticism;  Guidance;  The  Place  of  Faith;  The 
Witness  of  the  Spirit;  The  Element  of  Irrationality  in  the  Hegelian 
Dialectic. 

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life."—  Tke  Watchman. 

A  Physician  to  the  Soul 

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Sceptic;  The  Emmanuel  Movement;  The  Power  of  the  Spirit;  The  True 
Christian  Science. 

"  The   idealistic    thought    of    the  influence  of  the  mind  over  the  body 

is  brought  out  in  a  clear  and  sane  way  by  Dr.   Dresser.    A  sound 

psychology,    an  intimate  knowledge  of  philosophy  and  its  history,  and  a 

practical  appreciation  of  the  average  man  or  woman  are  present  in  the  prin- 

ciples presented."  —  Boston  Transcript. 

A  Message  to  the  Well 

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To  a  Clergyman;  Notes  on  Mental  Healing;  Quimby's  Point  of  View;  The 
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ing Restated;  The  Victorious  Attitude. 


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UCSB  LW 


000  651  252    9 


